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Michael Lembeck

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Lembeck
Born (1948-06-25) June 25, 1948 (age 76)
Occupation(s)Actor, film director
Years active1968–present
Spouse(s)Barbara Deutsch
(m. 1977; div. 19??)
(m. 1990)
Children3
RelativesHarvey Lembeck (father)
Helaine Lembeck (sister)

Michael Lembeck (born June 25, 1948) is an American actor and television and film director.[1] He is best known as Max Horvath in One Day at a Time (1979–1984).

Life and career

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Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Caroline Dubs and Harvey Lembeck, an actor and comedian. His parents practiced the Jewish faith.[2] He began acting in the late 1960s and directing in the 1970s.

His most notable acting role was as Julie Cooper (Mackenzie Phillips)'s husband, Max Horvath, on the sitcom One Day at a Time.[3] He played newscaster Clete Meizenheimer on the series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

In 1975, he appeared on Barney Miller in the episode "Hair" as Officer Guardeno.[3] He also played Kaptain Kool of the fictional band Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on The Krofft Supershow from 1976 to 1978. He is also known for his role as Vinnie Fazio in The Boys in Company C in 1978.[3] He was a member of the cast of the 1985–1986 situation comedy Foley Square. He appeared with his father, actor Harvey Lembeck, in an episode of The Partridge Family in 1971.

Lembeck has had collaborations with actor Peter Boyle (with whom he had previously appeared as an actor in Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8) in both The Santa Clause 2 and its sequel The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. Lembeck also directed Boyle in a number of episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond.

Lembeck's first film appearance came in the 1968 film Hang 'Em High where he portrays “Marvin,” a store clerk with two spoken lines, in which he asks the proprietor where to store blankets. He later acted in The In-Laws.[4] He directed The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, as well as the Nia Vardalos film Connie and Carla and Tooth Fairy.[1]

Lembeck now works as a full-time film and TV director. He won an Emmy for his work on the Friends episode "The One After the Superbowl". He also directed 20 other episodes of the series.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Lembeck is married to his second wife, retired actress Lorna Patterson. They raised two children, daughter Mimi and son Sam.[5][6] His sister is actress Helaine Lembeck, best known as Judy in TV's Welcome Back, Kotter.

Awards

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Lembeck's work has received recognition from the Directors Guild of America, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (also known as the ATAS).[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Direct-to-video

Acting roles

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Year Title Role Notes
1968 Hang 'Em High Store Clerk uncredited
1969 Gidget Grows Up Arnold TV movie
1972 Haunts of the Very Rich Johnny Delmonico
1973 A Summer Without Boys Burt
Blood Sport Rueben
1975 It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman Joe
1976 Flannery and Quilt Quilt's Grandson
ABC's Saturday Sneak Peek Kaptain Kool
1977 Kaptain Kool and the Kongs Present ABC All-Star Saturday
1978 The Boys in Company C Vinnie Fazio
Having Babies III Russ Bridges TV movie
The Krofft Comedy Hour Kaptain Kool
The Bay City Rollers Met the Saturday Superstars
1979 The In-Laws Tommy Ricardo
1980 The Comeback Kid Tony TV movie
Gorp Kavell
Dan August: Once Is Never Enough TV movie
1981 On the Right Track Frank Biscardi
1982 Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever Elliott Garfield TV movie
1987 Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 Abbie Hoffman
Ultraman: The Adventure Begins Scott Masterson (voice role)
1988 Side by Side (1988 film) Tony Mercer
Lady Mobster unknown
1989 The Dream Team Ed
1990 Joseph and His Brothers Voice role,
Short Film
1993 Heartbeat Ted TV movie

Television

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TV movies

  • Acting Sheriff (1991)
  • Boys & Girls (1996)
  • Carly (1998)
  • True Love (1999)
  • The Peter Principle (2000)
  • From Where I Sit (2000)
  • Loomis (2001)
  • Untitled Oakley & Weinstein Project (2005)
  • So Here's What Happened (2006)
  • The Bling Ring (2011)
  • Homeboys (2013)
  • A Nutcracker Christmas (2016)
  • Snow Day (2022)

TV series

Year Title Notes
1989 Doctor Doctor 2 episodes
My Two Dads Episode "I'm Dreaming of a Holiday Episode"
Coming of Age 3 episodes
1989-1990 Coach 7 episodes
1990 Sugar and Spice Episode "Breaking in Is Hard to Do"
The Marshall Chronicles 2 episodes
1992 Flying Blind 5 episodes
1990-1993 Major Dad 67 episodes
1993-1994 Love & War 16 episodes
1994 Good Advice 4 episodes
1994-1999 Mad About You 23 episodes
1995 Pride & Joe Episode "Terror at 30,000 Feet"
High Society Episode "Family Val's"
NewsRadio 3 episodes
Double Rush 13 episodes
1995-2000 Friends 24 episodes
1995-1996 Hope & Gloria 8 episodes
1996 The Naked Truth Episode "Man Loses Load While Woman Can't Dump!"
Party Girl
Caroline in the City Episode "Caroline and the Cat Dancer"
Ellen Episode "Harold and Ellen"
1996-1997 Everybody Loves Raymond 5 episodes
1997 Men Behaving Badly Episode "It's Good to Be Dead"
Chicago Sons 2 episodes
Over the Top 10 episodes
1997-1999 Veronica's Closet 4 episodes
1998 House Rules Episode "Pilot"
That's Life Episode "The First One"
Encore! Encore! Episode "The French Connection"
1998-2001 Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place 22 episodes
1999 Jesse 2 episodes
1999-2000 Stark Raving Mad 2 episodes
2000 The Weber Show 2 episodes
2001 What About Joan 4 episodes
Inside Schwartz Episode "Event Night"
Off Centre Episode "A Stroke of Genius"
According to Jim Episode "Cheryl's Old Flame"
2003 The 5 Coolest Things Documentary miniseries
2007 Greek Episode "Liquid Courage"
Californication Episode "Fear and Loathing at the Fundraiser"
2010 Hot in Cleveland Episode "Pilot"
2012-2013 Guys with Kids 5 episodes
2012-2017 Baby Daddy 97 episodes (director); 35 episodes (executive producer)
2014 Mystery Girls 4 episodes
2015 Mr. Robinson Episode "Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog"
2017 One Day at a Time Episode "Sex Talk"

Acting roles

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 The Young Lovers Student Episode "A Simple Thing Called Justice"
1970-1974 Room 222 Mickey Kaufman 3 episodes
1971 Dan August Ron Episode "Death Chain"
The Partridge Family Marc Episode "To Play or Not to Play?"
Make Room for Granddaddy Peter Episode "The Greatest Ear in the Business"
The Funny Side Teenage Husband 6 episodes
1973 Love, American Style Bob Segment "Love and the Mind Reader"
1975 Happy Days Dooley Episode "Crusin' "
Baretta Phil Episode "The Coppelli Oath"
Barney Miller Detective Paul Gardeno Episode "Hair"
The Rookies Gene/Maury 2 episodes
1976 The Krofft Supershow Kaptain Kool
1976-1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Clete Meizenheimer 39 episodes
1977 The Brady Bunch Variety Hour Kaptain Kool Episode "#1.1"
1978 What Really Happened to the Class of '65? Nick Romansky Episode "Class Clown"
The Bay City Roller Show Kaptain Kool Episode "#1.1"
1979-1983 The Love Boat Joey/ Bill Burgess 5 episodes/S6 E7 "Too Many Dads" (1982)
1979-1984 One Day at a Time Max Horvath 49 episodes
1981 Aloha Paradise Josh Episode "Best of Friends/Success/Nine Karats"
1982 Darkroom Barry Episode "Who's There?"
Insight J. Walter Episode "For Love or Money"
1983-1984 Fantasy Island Joe Manning/Dr. Russ Nicholas 2 episodes
1985 The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible Episode "Joseph and His Brothers"
Crazy Like a Fox Andy Farr Episode "Is There a Fox in the House?"
1985-1986 Foley Square Peter Newman 14 episodes
1987 Murder, She Wrote Arnie Wakeman Episode "When Thieves Fall Out"
Pound Puppies Various Characters (voice role) 4 episodes
1987-1988 The Smurfs Additional Voices 2 episodes
1988-1989 Fantastic Max Additional Voices 3 episodes
1989 The Famous Teddy Z Landon Tarmac Episode "Bobby the Chimp"
1992 Fish Police Episode "The Two Gils"
1993 L.A. Law Mitchell Schein Episode "Come Rain or Schein"
1994-1999 Mad About You Mr. Shapiro Episode "Two Tickets to Paradise"
1995 Double Rush Angus Black" Episode "Snowings and Goings"
2012-2017 Baby Daddy Director Episode "Over My Dead Bonnie"

References

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  1. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (January 21, 2010). "Nonbelievers Must Wear Tutus". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Abramovitch, Ilana and Galvin, Seán (2002) Jews of Brooklyn Boston: Brandeis University Press. Accessed January 1, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Michael Lembeck". TVGuide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  4. ^ Maslin, Janet (June 15, 1979). "Film: Arkin and Falk In Comic 'In-Laws':Comedy of Insanity". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Rudetsky, Seth (May 31, 2016). "Onstage and Backstage: Seth Takes a Trip Back to the '70s". Playbill. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Magruder, Melonie (May 20, 2009). "From stewardess to cantor". The Malibu Times. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "Michael Lembeck". IMDb. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
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