Kenneth Lerner (born May 27, 1948) is an American television, stage and film actor. He is known for playing Principal Flutie in the first episodes of the

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...

'', and earlier roles on ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...

'', along with numerous film and television guest-starring roles.

Early life

Lerner was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, of Romanian-Jewish descent. He is the youngest of three sons of Blanche and George Lerner, who was a fisherman and antiques dealer.Ken Lerner Biography at Film Reference.com((?)-)
/ref> His brother was actor Michael Lerner.

Career

Lerner is typically

typecast In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...

as whiny or unlucky characters, including an agent who is stabbed in the back with a pen by

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

's character Ben Richards in '' The Running Man''. One of his first roles was as one of the Malachi Brothers in the television series ''

'' in 1975–76. In 2011, Lerner was seen in an American nationally televised commercial for

Wells Fargo Bank Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...

. In late 2013, Lerner starred in a commercial for

T-Mobile USA T-Mobile US, Inc. is an American wireless network operator headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Its majority shareholder and namesake is the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom. T-Mobile is the second largest wireless carrier ...

. In 2016, Lerner played a small role as a corrupt business manager named Arthur in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

television series ''

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...

''. Lerner plays a recurring role on the series '' The Goldbergs'', on which his son

Sam Lerner Sam Lerner (born September 27, 1992) is an American actor, who is most known for his role as Geoff Schwartz on '' The Goldbergs'', Charles "Chowder" Peterson in '' Monster House'' and as Quinn Goldberg in '' Project Almanac''. Early life Lerner i ...

stars.

Selected filmography

*1975–1983 ''

'' as Frankie / Rocco Malachi / Rocco Baruffi (10 episodes) * 1977 '' Hot Tomorrows'' as Michael * 1977 ''

Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is prima ...

'' as Eagle I * 1979 '' Gas Pump Girls'' as 'Peewee', Member of The Vultures Motorcycle Gang * 1980 '' Any Which Way You Can'' as Tony Paoli Jr. * 1984 ''

Irreconcilable Differences The concept of irreconcilable differences provides possible grounds for divorce in the United States of America and Australia, among other jurisdictions. Australia Australian family law uses a no-fault divorce approach, and irreconcilable differe ...

'' as Doctor * 1985 ''

Secret Admirer A secret admirer is an individual who feels adoration, fondness or love for another person without disclosing their identity to that person, and who might send gifts or love letters to their Puppy love, crush. Grade school The goal of a secret a ...

'' as Waiter * 1985 '' Love on the Run'' as Aaron * 1985 ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American Action television, action television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, about a fictional team of former United States Army Special Forces who work as mercenaries while on the run from ...

'' (TV Series) as Cruise Crew Member * 1986 ''

Miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

'' as Stuart * 1986 ''

Jake Speed ''Jake Speed'' is a 1986 American action adventure comedy film directed and produced by Andrew Lane, with Wayne Crawford, and William Fay. It was written by Lane and Crawford, and starred Crawford in the title role, alongside Dennis Christopher ...

'' as Ken *1986 ''

It's a Living ''It's a Living'' (renamed ''Making a Living'' for Season 2) is an American Ensemble cast, ensemble sitcom television series set in a restaurant at the top of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. The show aired on Ame ...

'' as Dr Cutler * 1987 '' Project X'' as Finley * 1987 '' The Running Man'' as Agent * 1988 ''

Maniac Cop ''Maniac Cop'' is a 1988 American slasher film directed by William Lustig, written by Larry Cohen, and starring Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith, Robert Z'Dar, and Sheree North. Z'Dar plays the titl ...

'' as Mayor Killium (uncredited) (Scenes not present in USA release, added in Japanese version as a subplot) * 1989 '' Hit List'' as Gravenstein * 1989 '' Relentless'' as Arthur * 1989 ''

The Fabulous Baker Boys ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy drama musical film written and directed by Steve Kloves. The film follows a piano act consisting of two brothers, who hire an attractive female singer to help revive their waning ...

'' as Ray * 1989 ''

Immediate Family The immediate family is a defined group of relations, used in rules or laws to determine which members of a person's family are affected by those rules. It normally includes a person's parents, siblings, spouse, and children. It can contain other ...

'' as Josh * 1990 ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...

'' as Doctor (Season 6, Episode 1: " Blanche Delivers") * 1990 ''

RoboCop 2 ''RoboCop 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction superhero action film directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Frank Miller and Walon Green. It stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bauer, Tom Noonan, and Gabriel Dam ...

'' as Tom Delaney * 1990 ''

The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American supernatural psychological horror film written for the screen and directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1983 novel '' Legion''. It is the third installment in ''The Exorcist'' film series and t ...

'' as Dr. Freedman * 1991 '' Fast Getaway'' as Tony Bush * 1991 ''

The Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

'' as Pete * 1991 '' Diary of a Hitman'' as Optometrist * 1991 ''

And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird ''And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird'' is a 1991 American comedy film written and directed by Tony Cookson in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Marcia Strassman, Joshua Miller, Edan Gross, John Quade, Sam Behrens, and Alan ...

'' as Matthew Carson, Home Movies * 1992 ''

Unlawful Entry ''Unlawful Entry'' is a 1992 American psychological thriller film directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Kurt Russell, Madeleine Stowe and Ray Liotta. The film involves a couple who befriend a lonely policeman, only for him to develop an un ...

'' as Roger Graham * 1993 ''

Mother's Boys ''Mother's Boys'' is a 1993 American psychological thriller film starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Peter Gallagher, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer and Vanessa Redgrave. Plot Jude Madigan suddenly and inexplicably leaves her husband, Robert and three sons. Th ...

'' as Jude's Analyst * 1994 ''Rave Review'' as Saul Slobin * 1994 '' Fast Getaway II'' as Tony Bush * 1994 '' Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes'' as Al Rosenberg * 1994 ''

ER (TV Series) ''ER'' is an American medical drama television series created by Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994, to April 2, 2009, with a total of 331 episodes spanning 15 seasons. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Ambli ...

'' as Harry Stopek (Season 1, Episode 4) * 1995 '' For Better or Worse'' as Sergeant Moss * 1995 ''

Bodily Harm Bodily harm is a legal term of art used in the definition of both statutory and common law offences in Australia, Canada, England and Wales and other common law jurisdictions. It is a synonym for injury or bodily injury and similar expressions, ...

'' as Alex Shaw * 1996 '' Dead Girl'' as Producer * 1997 ''

'' (TV Series) as Principal Bob Flutie * 1997 ''

High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...

'' as Justice of The Peace (uncredited) * 1998 ''

Senseless ''Senseless'' is a 1998 American buddy comedy science fiction film directed by Penelope Spheeris and written by Greg Erb and Craig Mazin. The film stars Marlon Wayans and David Spade alongside Matthew Lillard, Brad Dourif, Tamara Taylor ...

'' as Dean Barlow * 1998 ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...

'' as Teacher (uncredited) * 1999 '' The Story of Us'' as Dr. Rifkin * 2000 ''Boys Life 3'' as Judge Levin (segment "Inside Out") * 2001 ''The Woman Every Man Wants'' as Rosen * 2001 '' They Crawl'' as Glen, The Coroner * 2001 ''Mafioso: The Father, the Son'' as Sid Freeman * 2002 ''

'' as Mr. Sidell (Season 8, Episode 18) * 2003 ''

National Security National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of ...

'' as Hank's Lawyer * 2003 ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

'' as Professor Spafford (Season 9, Episode 20: " The One with the Soap Opera Party") * 2003 '' Frankie and Johnny Are Married'' as Rob, Production Manager * 2004 ''True Vinyl'' as Hotel Clerk * 2005 ''

Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," ...

'' (TV Series) as Charles James * 2005 ''Jesus, Mary and Joey'' as Saulley * 2006 ''All In'' as Rosenbloom * 2006 ''

NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...

'' (TV Series, in

Bloodbath Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup (music), supergroup from Stockholm, formed in 1998. The band has released six full-length albums, two EPs and two DVDs depicting their performances at Wacken Open Air (in 2005) and Bloodstock Open A ...

) as Albert Hencheck (uncredited) * 2006 '' Undisputed II: Last Man Standing'' as Phil Gold * 2009 ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Marc Cherry, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a tota ...

'' (TV Series) as Dr. Bernstein * 2009 ''

Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...

'' (TV Series) as Dr. Levine * 2011 '' L.A. Noire'' (Video Game) as Walter Mensch (voice) * 2011 ''

The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, t ...

'' (TV Series) as Judge Markland * 2012 ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for CBS. It aired from September 24, 2007, to May 16, 2019, running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes. The show originally centered on five charact ...

'' (TV Series) as Dr. Schneider * 2013 ''

Anger Management Anger management is a psycho-therapeutic program for anger prevention and control. It has been described as deploying anger successfully.Schwarts, Gil. July 2006. Anger Management', July 2006 The Office Politic. Men's Health magazine. Emmaus, PA: ...

'' (TV Series) as Judge * 2016 ''

'' (TV Series) as Arthur * 2016 '' The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story'' as Howard Weitzman * 2017-2023 '' The Goldbergs'' (TV Series) as Lou Schwartz * 2018'' Bayou Caviar'' as Shlomo * 2022'' Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story'' as Joe Zilber

References

External links

*Golden Girls 1990 docto
Interview
at ''Watcher's Web'' * *http://www.kenlerner.com/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Lerner, Ken 1948 births American male film actors American male television actors American people of Romanian-Jewish descent Brooklyn College alumni Jewish American male actors Living people Male actors from Brooklyn 21st-century American Jews