Sandy Helberg
Sandy Helberg (born May 28, 1949) is a German-born American actor.
Sandy Helberg | |
|---|---|
 Sandy Helberg on January 2, 2014 | |
| Born | May 28, 1949 |
| Years active | 1972–2012 |
| Spouse(s) | Harriet Birnbaum (m. 1975) |
| Children | 2, including Simon Helberg |
Early life
Helberg was born in Frankfurt, Germany, the son of Tonia (née Altman) and Sam Helberg. His parents were both Holocaust survivors from Poland who met in a concentration camp.[1][2] They emigrated to the United States in 1950,[1] where his father, originally a barber, eventually became a real estate developer in Toledo, Ohio, where Sandy and his brothers Ted and Tom were raised.[2]
Career
He relocated to New York City and studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He performed stand-up comedy and was part of an improv group that appeared in clubs in Greenwich Village. He later moved to Los Angeles, becoming an original member of the Los Angeles improv group, The Groundlings. Acting in several comedy films, in particular three Mel Brooks films High Anxiety, History of the World, Part I, and Spaceballs, he starred in the comedy films The Hollywood Knights and Up the Creek.
Helberg wrote and starred in the short-lived 1977 syndicated TV series The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show and the 1979 CBS TV series Flatbush. He has made numerous guest appearances on TV shows, including Trapper John, M.D., Remington Steele, Newhart, The Jeffersons, M*A*S*H, Married... with Children, The Wonder Years, Night Court, Fernwood 2 Night, Knight Rider, Too Close for Comfort, Get a Life, House Calls, Cybill, and Days of Our Lives among others.
Helberg co-starred in the NBC miniseries, 79 Park Avenue, and a CBS movie of the week, More Wild Wild West. He played Yeoman Purser Burl "Gopher" Smith in The Love Boat pilot; however, when it became an ABC television series, Fred Grandy took over the role.
Helberg and his wife, Harriet Helberg, wrote episodes for such television series as The Golden Girls, Perfect Strangers, Dear John, and Harry and the Hendersons. He also co-produced USO Salute to the Troops for HBO/TBS.
Personal life
Helberg has been married to Harriet Birnbaum,[3] a casting director, since 1975 and has two sons, Mason and actor Simon. Sandy and Harriet adopted their granddaughter, Lily Rose Helberg, at four months old. Lily was born May 12, 2016.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Terror in the Wax Museum | Newsboy | Uncredited |
| 1975 | Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York | Artist | |
| 1976 | A Star Is Born | Kevin | Uncredited |
| 1977 | High Anxiety | Airport Attendant | |
| 1977 | American Raspberry | Mailman | |
| 1978 | Loose Shoes | Biker Eulogist | |
| 1980 | The Hollywood Knights | Officer Clark | |
| 1980 | The Jazz Singer | Sound Engineer | |
| 1981 | History of the World: Part 1 | Disciple | (The Roman Empire) |
| 1981 | Modern Problems | Pete | |
| 1984 | This Is Spinal Tap | Angelo DiMentibelio | |
| 1984 | Up the Creek | Irwin | |
| 1987 | Spaceballs | Dr. Schlotkin | |
| 1994 | I'll Do Anything | Theater Critic | Uncredited |
| 1995 | The Granny | Albert | |
| 1995 | Mortal Kombat | Director | |
| 1997 | Meet Wally Sparks | Commercial Director | |
| 2006 | School for Scoundrels | Rabbi |
References
- "Nazi camp survivor was active in Jewish groups". Toledo Blade. April 11, 2007.
- "Holocaust survivor developed real estate". Toledo Blade. September 9, 2003.
- "Birnbaum, et al v. G.D. Searle Company, et al". Maryland District Court Case No. 1:90-cv-01715-WEB. June 26, 1990. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013.