David Lander

2025-11-03T23:23:58Z

2600:1700:BD20:77B0:C8A0:67C5:A2DE:1F32:

{{short description|American actor (1947–2020)}}
{{About|the American actor|the British television series|This Is David Lander}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = David Lander
| image = David Lander 1976.JPG
| alt = 
| caption = Lander in 1976
| birth_name = David Leonard Landau
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|6|22|}}
| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|12|04|1947|6|22}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| resting_place = [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery]]
| alma_mater = [[Carnegie Mellon University|Carnegie Tech]], [[New York University]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|musician|baseball scout|activist|author}}
| years_active = 1970–2017
| known_for = Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggmeier in ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]''
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Thea Markus<br>|1969|1976|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Kathy Fields]]|1979}}
}}
| children = Natalie Lander
}}
'''David L. Lander''' (born '''David Leonard Landau'''; June 22, 1947 – December 4, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, musician, and baseball [[Scout (sport)|scout]]. He was best known for his portrayal of Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] sitcom ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]''. He served as a [[goodwill ambassador]] for the [[National Multiple Sclerosis Society]].

==Early life==
'''David Leonard Landau''' was born on June 22, 1947, in [[Brooklyn]], New York, the youngest son of two Jewish schoolteacher parents, Stella (Goldman) and Saul Landau.<ref name=NYT>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/obituaries/david-l-lander-dead.html|title=David L. Lander, Squiggy on 'Laverne & Shirley,' Dies at 73|first=Anita|last=Gates|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 7, 2020}}</ref>

Lander decided to become an actor when he was 10. He studied at the [[High School of Performing Arts|High School for the Performing Arts]] and continued at [[Carnegie Mellon University|Carnegie Tech]] and [[New York University]].<ref name="NMSS">{{cite web |title=David "Squiggy" Lander |url=http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Get-Involved/Personal-Stories/Ambassadors-Familiar-Faces/David-Squiggy-Lander |website=National Multiple Sclerosis Society |access-date=March 4, 2019 |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111704/https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Get-Involved/Personal-Stories/Ambassadors-Familiar-Faces/David-Squiggy-Lander |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was in high school he took the stage name of David Lander, which he would later legally adopt, after a classmate "borrowed" his real name to register with an actors' union.<ref name=NYT/>

==Career==
He was best known for his role as Andrew Helmut "Squiggy" Squiggmeier on the situation comedy ''Laverne & Shirley'' from 1976 to 1982 along with sitcom sidekick Lenny, played by [[Michael McKean]].<ref name = NYT/>

Lander's partnership with McKean began during their acting classes at Pittsburgh's [[Carnegie Mellon University]], where they developed the characters of Lenny and Squiggy. After Pittsburgh, they teamed up in the Los Angeles–based comedy ensemble [[The Credibility Gap]]. The duo released an album as [[Lenny and the Squigtones]] in 1979 featuring [[Christopher Guest]] on guitar, credited as [[Nigel Tufnel]], a name Guest would later reuse in the spoof rock band [[Spinal Tap (band)|Spinal Tap]]. Lander and McKean also appeared together in the 1979 Steven Spielberg comedy ''[[1941 (film)|1941]]'', and the 1980 [[Kurt Russell]] film ''[[Used Cars]]''. They also lent their vocal talents to the children's animated TV series ''[[Oswald (TV series)|Oswald]]'', which ran for just one season from 2001 to 2003. Lander voiced the character of Henry the penguin while McKean appeared as a voice guest role for Henry's cousin, Louie in the 17th episode "Odd One Out/Goodbye, Best Friend".

Lander appeared in numerous other TV shows, including ''[[The Bob Newhart Show]]'', ''[[Barney Miller]]'', ''[[Happy Days]]'' (as Squiggy), ''[[Viva Valdez]]'', ''[[Married... with Children]]'', ''[[Twin Peaks]]'', ''[[On the Air (TV series)|On the Air]]'', ''[[The Weird Al Show]]'', ''[[Mad About You]]'', ''[[Pacific Blue (TV series)|Pacific Blue]]'', and ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]''. His other film roles included the part of a minor league baseball radio announcer in the film ''[[A League of Their Own]]'' (directed by his Laverne & Shirley co-star Penny Marshall) and a [[bit part]] of the minister officiating the marriage ceremony in ''[[Say It Isn't So (film)|Say It Isn't So]]''. He also played "Tanning Intruder" in ''[[Christmas with the Kranks]]''. Lander created the starring role of the demented fast-food franchise clown Bruce Burger in the cult film ''Funland'', directed by Michael A. Simpson.

[[File:David Lander on Pop Goes The Culture TV.jpg|right|thumb|Lander giving an interview]]
Lander's voice acting roles included the "dramatic reproduction" of [[Elvis Presley]] quotations for the [[Pop Chronicles]] music documentary<ref>{{cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19754/m1/ |title=Show 7 - The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 1] : UNT Digital Library |publisher=Digital.library.unt.edu |date=March 23, 1969 |access-date=August 30, 2010}}</ref> and the voice of [[Jerry Lewis]] in the [[Filmation]] series ''[[Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down]]'' in 1970. He voiced "Doc Boy" Arbuckle, the farm-boy brother of [[Jon Arbuckle]], in most animated adaptations of the ''[[Garfield]]'' franchise. Later voice roles included ''[[The Big Bang (1987 film)|The Big Bang]]'', ''[[A Bug's Life]]'', ''[[Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills]]'', ''[[Oswald (TV series)|Oswald]]'', ''[[Titan A.E.]]'', ''[[Tom and Jerry: The Movie]]'' and the animated TV series ''[[Galaxy High]]'' as the six-armed Milo de Venus. In 2002, he reprised his role as Squiggy in the animated sitcom ''[[The Simpsons]]''. Lander was the voice of Smart Ass, the chief weasel of [[Judge Doom]]'s [[Toon Patrol]] in the 1988 Disney film ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''. Lander reprised his role as Smart Ass on [[Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin|the related ride]], but the character was renamed Wiseguy. He was credited as Stephen Lander in ''[[Boo, Zino & the Snurks]]''. One of his later roles was that of [[Ch'p]] in the [[DC Comics]] animated film ''[[Green Lantern: First Flight]]''. His final credit was an episode of ''[[Goldie & Bear]]'' in 2017.<ref name = NYT/>

He played the psychiatrist in the video for "[[Why's Everybody Always Pickin' on Me?]]" by [[The Bloodhound Gang]].

===Sports===
Lander, a [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] fan, had a small stake in the [[Portland Beavers]]. In 1997, he began work as a baseball talent scout, first for the [[Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim|Anaheim Angels]], and later for the [[Seattle Mariners]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/sports/2001930270_squiggy16.html |title=Squiggy is in the house: 'Laverne and Shirley' star now M's scout |first=Les |last=Carpenter |newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=May 16, 2004 |access-date=September 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/david-lander-actor-baseball-scout-minor-league-team-owner-dies | title=Baseball scout & devotee, TV's 'Squiggy' dies | website=[[MLB.com]] }}</ref> He was a member of the [[Society for American Baseball Research]], the baseball [[sabermetric]]s organization, for many years.

==Personal life==
Lander was married to Thea Markus from 1969 until the couple divorced in 1976. He married [[Kathy Fields]] in 1979.<ref name = NYT/> His daughter is actress Natalie Lander.<ref name = NYT/>

===Health===
Lander was diagnosed with [[multiple sclerosis]] at [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] in Los Angeles in 1984. He went public in 1999 and regularly spoke at related conventions. In 2002, his autobiography was published, titled ''Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody'' ({{ISBN|1-58542-052-2}}), written with Lee Montgomery.

Lander died of complications from multiple sclerosis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on December 4, 2020. He was 73.<ref name = NYT/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-lander-dead-squiggy-laverne-shirley-was-73-1294535 |title=David L. Lander, Squiggy on 'Laverne & Shirley,' Dies at 73 |first=Barnes |last=Mike |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=December 5, 2020 |access-date=December 5, 2020}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film credits===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1977 || ''[[Cracking Up (1977 film)|Cracking Up]]'' || Carl Adler / Alistair Kakowski / Mr. Hickenlooper || Credited as The Credibility Gap
|-
|1979 || ''[[1941 (film)|1941]]'' || Joe ||
|-
|rowspan=2|1980 || ''[[Wholly Moses!]]'' || The Beggar ||
|-
| ''[[Used Cars]]'' || Freddie Paris ||
|-
|1982 || ''[[Pandemonium (1982 film)|Pandemonium]]'' || Pepe ||
|-
|1983 || ''Imps*'' || Fritz #1 || Segment: "Interrogation"
|-
|1985 || ''[[The Man with One Red Shoe]]'' || Stemple ||
|-
|rowspan=3|1987 || ''[[The Big Bang (1987 film)|The Big Bang]]'' || Fred || Voice
|-
| ''[[Steele Justice]]'' || Army Guard ||
|-
| ''[[Funland (film)|Funland]]'' || Bruce Burger ||
|-
|1988 || ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'' || Smart Ass || Voice<ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=David L. Lander (visual voices guide) |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/David-L-Lander/ |access-date=October 24, 2023 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref>
|-
|1990 || ''[[Masters of Menace]]'' || Squirt ||
|-
|1991 || ''[[Steel and Lace]]'' || Schumann ||
|-
|rowspan=2|1992 || ''[[A League of Their Own]]'' || Radio Sportscaster || Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Tom and Jerry: The Movie]]'' || Frankie da Flea || Voice<ref name="btva" />
|-
|1993 || ''[[Betrayal of the Dove]]'' || Norman ||
|-
|1994 || ''Ava's Magical Adventure'' || The Mayor ||
|-
|rowspan=2|1998 || ''[[A Bug's Life]]'' || Thumper || Voice, outtakes
|-
| ''The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' || Mayor Burgabom ||
|-
|1999 || ''[[Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure]]'' || Bernie || [[Direct-to-video]]
|-
|rowspan=3|2000 || ''[[Titan A.E.]]'' || The Mayor || Voice<ref name="btva" />
|-
| ''[[Scary Movie]]'' || Principal "Squiggy" Squiggman ||
|-
| ''[[The Tangerine Bear]]'' || Theodore, Store Clerk || Voice, direct-to-video<ref name="btva" />
|-
|rowspan=3|2001 || ''[[Say It Isn't So (film)|Say It Isn't So]]'' || Reverend Stillwater ||
|-
| ''[[Dr. Dolittle 2]]'' || Bird || Voice<ref name="btva" />
|-
| ''[[Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius]]'' || Yokian Guard, Gus || Voice<ref name="btva" />
|-
|2002 || ''[[Jane White Is Sick & Twisted]]'' || Gerry King ||
|-
|2004 || ''[[Christmas with the Kranks]]'' || Tanning Intruder ||
|-
|rowspan=2|2006 || ''[[Zoom (2006 film)|Zoom]]'' || Wendy's Employee ||
|-
| ''Tomoko's Kitchen'' || Gene || Short
|-
|2009 || ''[[Green Lantern: First Flight]]'' || [[Ch'p]]|| Voice, direct-to-video<ref name="btva" />
|}

===Television credits===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1970–1972 || ''[[Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down]]'' || [[Jerry Lewis]] || Voice, 18 episodes
|-
| rowspan=2|1972 || ''[[Love, American Style]]'' || || Voice, episode: "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father"
|-
| ''[[The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie]]'' || Jud || Episode: "Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection"
|-
| 1974 || ''[[The Bob Newhart Show]]'' || Milt the Delivery Boy || Episode: "Ship of Shrinks"
|-
| rowspan=2|1975 || ''[[Rhoda]]'' || Mel Towers || Episode: "Call Me Grandma"
|-
| ''[[Barney Miller]]'' || David Gordon || Episode: "Hot Dogs"
|-
| 1976 || ''[[Viva Valdez]]'' || Harry || Episode: "Weekend"
|-
| 1976–1983 || ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]'' || Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman || 156 episodes
|-
| 1979 || ''[[Happy Days]]'' || Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman || Episode: "Fonzie's Funeral: Part 2"
|-
| 1984 || ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Arnold Herlick || 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan=2|1985 || ''[[Highway to Heaven]]'' || Ed || Episode: "The Smile in the Third Row"
|-
| ''[[George Burns Comedy Week]]'' || || Episode: "The Honeybunnies"
|-
| rowspan=2|1986 || ''[[Tall Tales & Legends]]'' || Mr. Sylvester || Episode: "My Darlin' Clementine"
|-
| ''[[Galaxy High]]'' || Milo de Venus || Voice, 13 episodes
|-
| rowspan=2|1987 || ''[[Matlock (1986 TV series)|Matlock]]'' || Eli Walsh || Episode: "The Convict"
|-
| ''[[A Garfield Christmas]]''|| Doc Boy || Voice<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 1988 || ''[[Simon & Simon]]'' || Alvie 'The Weasel' Hortsnagel || Episode: "Bad Betty"
|-
| rowspan=6|1989 || ''[[Father Dowling Mysteries]]'' || Eric Becker || Episode: "What Do You Call a Call Girl Mystery"
|-
| ''[[Monsters (American TV series)|Monsters]]'' || James Self || Episode: "Their Divided Self"
|-
| ''[[Married... with Children]]'' || Eli || Episode: "Married... with Prom Queen: The Sequel"
|-
| ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' || Ferengi Tactical Officer || Episode: "[[Peak Performance (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Peak Performance]]"
|-
| ''[[Knight & Daye]]'' || || Episode: "Stalk Radio"
|-
| ''[[Freddy's Nightmares]]'' || Lenny Nordhoff || Episode: "Lucky Stiff"
|-
|rowspan=4|1990 || ''[[Head of the Class]]'' || Mr. Freelik || Episode: "Alan Goes Crimson"
|-
| ''[[TaleSpin]]'' || Weazel || Voice, episode: "Vowel Play"
|-
| ''[[A Pup Named Scooby-Doo]]'' || || Voice, 3 episodes
|-
| ''[[Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone]]'' || || Voice, 13 episodes
|-
| 1990–1991 || ''[[Twin Peaks]]'' || Tim Pinkle || 3 episodes
|-
| 1991 || ''[[ProStars]]'' || || Voice
|-
| 1991–1993 || ''[[Tom & Jerry Kids]]'' || Bernie the Swallow || Voice, 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan=4|1992 || ''[[On the Air (TV series)|On the Air]]'' || Valdja Gochktch || 7 episodes
|-
| ''[[Camp Candy]]'' || Additional voices || Episode: "When It Rains... It Snows"
|-
| ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' || Nitro || Voice, episode: "Appointment in Crime Alley"<ref name="btva" />
|-
| ''[[The Little Mermaid (TV series)|The Little Mermaid]]'' || Da Shrimp || Voice, 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan=2|1993 || ''[[Matrix (TV series)|Matrix]]'' || Freddy Flanagan || Episode: "False Witness"
|-
| ''[[Family Album (1993 TV series)|Family Album]]'' || Mr. DeVito || Episode: "Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall All You Gotta Do Is Call..."
|-
| 1994 || ''[[Getting By]]'' || Sid Smollen || Episode: "Sell It Like It Is"
|-
| 1994–1995 || ''[[Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills]]'' || Lechner || Voice, 26 episodes<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 1994–1996 || ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' || Squiggy || rowspan=2|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan=3|1995 || ''[[Family Matters]]'' || Oliver
|-
| ''[[Dream On (TV series)|Dream On]]'' || The Other Norman Mailer || Episode: "Significant Author"
|-
| ''[[The Nanny]]'' || The Landlord || Episode: "Val's Apartment"
|-
| rowspan=4|1996 || ''[[Homeboys in Outer Space]]'' || Inspector 17 || Episode: "House Party or, Play That Funky White Music Droid"
|-
| ''[[The Tick (1994 TV series)|The Tick]]'' || Filth #4 || Voice, episode: "The Tick vs. Filth"<ref name="btva" />
|-
| ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'' || Sqweek || Voice, episode: "The Main Man"<ref name="btva" />
|-
| ''[[Hey Arnold!]]'' || Sewer King || Voice, episode: "The Sewer King"<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 1996–1997 || ''[[Pacific Blue (TV series)|Pacific Blue]]'' || Elvis Kryzcewski || 14 episodes
|-
| 1996–1998 || ''[[Jungle Cubs]]'' || Arthur || Voice, 20 episodes
|-
| rowspan=5|1997 || ''[[L.A. Heat (TV series)|L.A. Heat]]'' || Cecil Rusk || Episode: "In Transit"
|-
| ''[[Nash Bridges]]'' || Norman Guilfoyle || Episode: "Gun Play"
|-
| ''[[Johnny Bravo]]''|| Christopher || Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva" />
|-
| ''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]'' || Himself || Episode: "Boobookitty"
|-
| ''[[The Weird Al Show]]'' || Miner || Episode: "Mining Accident"
|-
| rowspan=2|1997–98 || ''[[The Bold and the Beautiful]]'' || Dr. Martin 'Marty' Guthrie || 12 episodes
|-
| ''[[101 Dalmatians: The Series]]'' || Horace Badun || Voice, 28 episodes
|-
| 1998 || ''[[Diagnosis: Murder]]'' || Willie Andrews || Episode: "Food Fight"
|-
| rowspan=4|1999 || ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series)|Sabrina, the Teenage Witch]]'' || Postmaster || Episode: "Sabrina, the Teenage Writer"
|-
| ''[[Mad About You]]'' || Announcer #1 || Episode: "Separate Beds"
|-
| ''[[Arliss (TV series)|Arliss]]'' || Wrestling Promoter || Episode: "To Thine Own Self Be True"
|-
| ''[[Recess (TV series)|Recess]]'' || Leonard Weems || Voice, 2 episodes
|-
| 2000 || ''[[100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd]]'' || Caesar || Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 2001 || ''[[Black Scorpion (TV series)|Black Scorpion]]'' || Eugene Gardner/Greenthumb || Episode: "Roses Are Red, You're Dead"
|-
| 2001–2003 || ''[[Oswald (TV series)|Oswald]]'' || Henry || Voice, 22 episodes<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 2002 || ''[[The Simpsons]]'' || Squiggy || Voice, episode: "[[Helter Shelter (The Simpsons)|Helter Shelter]]"
|-
| 2004 || ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy]]'' || Brain || Voice, episode: "The Nerve"
|-
| 2005 || ''[[Hopeless Pictures]]'' || Les || Voice
|-
| 2007 || ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy]]'' || Curtis || Voice, episode: "Wrath of the Spider Queen"<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 2009 || ''[[Raising the Bar (2008 TV series)|Raising the Bar]]'' || Jury Foreman || Episode: "I'll Be Down to Get You in a Taxi, Honey"
|-
| 2009–2016 || ''[[The Garfield Show]]'' || Doc Boy Arbuckle ||
|-
| 2011 || ''[[The Problem Solverz]]'' || Glam-Vampire Member || Ep: Glam-Vampire Hunterz
|-
| 2015 || ''Break a Hip'' || Charlie ||6 episodes
|-
| 2016 || ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' || Donnie the Shark || Voice, episode: "Sharks vs. Pods"<ref name="btva" />
|-
| 2017 || ''[[Goldie & Bear]]'' || Rumpelstiltskin || Voice, episode: "Gnome Family Reunion/Adorable Norm" (final role)
|}

===Video game credits===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
|-
|1996
|''[[Down in the Dumps]]''
|Mr. Blub, Old Louse<ref name="btva" />
|-
| rowspan="2" |1997 || ''[[Lego Island]]'' || The Brickster, Shark, Gideon Worse<ref name="btva" />
|-
|| ''[[Zork: Grand Inquisitor]]'' || Voice of the Inquisition, Bickering Torch
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|5581}}
* [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r130060|pure_url=yes}} Lenny and the Squigtones at allmusic]
* {{Discogs artist|David L. Lander}}
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219425345/david-l.-lander David Lander] at [[Find a Grave]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lander, David}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American comedians]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery]]
[[Category:Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Comedians from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Deaths from multiple sclerosis]]
[[Category:People with multiple sclerosis]]
[[Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Neurological disease deaths in California]]
[[Category:New York University alumni]]
[[Category:Writers from Brooklyn]]

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David Lander