David Lander

This article is about the American actor. For the UK television series, see This is David Lander.

David Lander
File:David Lander 1976.JPG Lander in 1976
Born	David Leonard Landau (1947-06-22)June 22, 1947 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor voice actor comedian composer musician baseball scout activist
Years active	1969–2017
Spouse(s)	Kathy Fields (m. 1979)
Children	Natalie Lander

David L. Lander (June 22, 1947 – December 4, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, musician, and baseball scout, best known for his portrayal of Squiggy in Laverne & Shirley. He also served as a Goodwill ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Biography

Lander was born David Leonard Landau in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest son of two Jewish schoolteacher parents, Stella (Goldman) and Saul Landau.

Lander decided to become an actor when he was 10. He studied to become an actor at the High School for the Performing Arts and continued at Carnegie Tech and New York University.

He was best known for his role of Andrew Helmut "Squiggy" Squiggman on the situation comedy Laverne & Shirley from 1976 to 1982 along with sitcom sidekick Lenny, played by Michael McKean.

Lander's partnership with McKean began during their acting classes at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where they developed the characters of Lenny and Squiggy. Lander's character went through a name change because producers felt that there were already too many Italian characters in the cast of "Laverne & Shirley." Therefore, Ant'ny Squiggliano became Andrew Helmut "Squiggy" Squiggman.

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. Lander and McKean also appeared together in the 1979 Steven Spielberg comedy 1941, and the 1980 Kurt Russell film Used Cars. Lander and McKean lent their vocal talents to the animated TV series Oswald, which ran from 2001 to 2003. Lander and McKean voiced the characters of the penguin cousins Henry and Louie, respectively.

Lander also appeared in numerous other TV shows and movies, including The Bob Newhart Show, Barney Miller, Happy Days (as Squiggy), Viva Valdez, Married... with Children, Twin Peaks, On the Air, The Weird Al Show, Mad About You, Pacific Blue, and The Drew Carey Show. His film roles were more sparse but still memorable; these included the part of a minor league baseball radio announcer in the film, A League of Their Own and a bit part of the minister officiating the marriage ceremony in 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.

Lander’s voice acting roles included the "dramatic reproduction" of Elvis Presley quotations for the Pop Chronicles music documentary 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, A Bug's Life, Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills, 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 the related ride, but the character was renamed Wiseguy. He was credited as Stephen Lander in Boo, Zino and the Snurks. One of his later roles was that of Ch'p in the DC Comics animated movie Green Lantern: First Flight.

Multiple sclerosis diagnosis and activism

Lander had multiple sclerosis. Officially diagnosed on May 15, 1984, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 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.

Sports

In addition to acting, 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 Anaheim Angels, and later for the Seattle Mariners. He was a member of SABR, the baseball sabermetrics organization, for many years.

Death

Lander died of complications from multiple sclerosis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on December 4, 2020. He was 73 years old. He used a mobility scooter prior to his death.

Filmography

Film credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	Cracking Up	Carl Adler / Alistair Kakowski / Mr. Hickenlooper	Credited as The Credibility Gap
1979	1941	Joe
1980	Wholly Moses!	The Beggar
	Used Cars	Freddie Paris
1982	Pandemonium	Pepe
1983	Imps*	Fritz #1	(segment "Interrogation")
1985	The Man with One Red Shoe	Stemple
1987	The Big Bang	Fred	Voice, English version
	Steele Justice	Army Guard
	Funland	Bruce Burger
1988	Who Framed Roger Rabbit	Smart Ass	Voice
1990	Masters of Menace	Squirt
1991	Steel and Lace	Schumann
1992	A League of Their Own	Radio Sportscaster	Uncredited
	Tom and Jerry: The Movie	Frankie da Flea	Voice
1993	Betrayal of the Dove	Norman
1994	Ava's Magical Adventure	The Mayor
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
2000	Titan A.E.	The Mayor	Voice
	Scary Movie	Principal "Squiggy" Squiggman
	The Tangerine Bear	Theodore, Store Clerk	Voice, Direct-to-video
2001	Say It Isn't So	Reverend Stillwater
	Dr. Dolittle 2	Bird	Voice
	Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius	Yokian Guard, Gus	Voice
2002	Jane White Is Sick & Twisted	Gerry King
2004	Christmas with the Kranks	Tanning Intruder
2006	Zoom	Wendy's Employee
	Tomoko's Kitchen	Gene	Short
2009	Green Lantern: First Flight	Ch'p	Voice, Direct-to-video

Television credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1970–1972	Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down	Jerry Lewis	Voice, 18 episodes
1972	Love, American Style		Voice, Episode: "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father"
	The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie	Jud	Episode: "Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection"
1973	Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter	Magnus	Voice, 40 episodes, English version
1974	The Bob Newhart Show	Milt the Delivery Boy	Episode: "Ship of Shrinks"
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
1985	Highway to Heaven	Ed	Episode: "The Smile in the Third Row"
	George Burns Comedy Week		Episode: "The Honeybunnies"
1986	Tall Tales & Legends	Mr. Sylvester	Episode: "My Darlin' Clementine"
	Galaxy High	Milo de Venus	Voice, 13 episodes
1987	Matlock	Eli Walsh	Episode: "The Convict"
	A Garfield Christmas	Doc Boy	Voice
1988	Simon & Simon	Alvie 'The Weasel' Hortsnagel	Episode: "Bad Betty"
1989	Father Dowling Mysteries	Eric Becker	Episode: "What Do You Call a Call Girl Mystery"
	Monsters	James Self	Episode: "Their Divided Self"
	Married... with Children	Eli	Episode: "Married... with Prom Queen: The Sequel"
	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Tactician	Episode: "Peak Performance"
	Knight & Daye		Episode: "Stalk Radio"
	Freddy's Nightmares	Lenny Nordhoff	Episode: "Lucky Stiff"
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
1992	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"
	The Little Mermaid	Da Shrimp	Voice, 3 episodes
1993	Matrix	Freddy Flanagan	Episode: "False Witness"
	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
1994–1996	Saturday Night Live	Squiggy	2 episodes
1995	Family Matters	Oliver
	Dream On	The Other Norman Mailer	Episode: "Significant Author"
	The Nanny	The Landlord	Episode: "Val's Apartment"
1996	Homeboys in Outer Space	Inspector 17	Episode: "House Party or, Play That Funky White Music Droid"
	The Tick	Filth #4	Voice, Episode: "The Tick vs. Filth"
	Superman: The Animated Series	Sqweek	Voice, 2 episodes
	Hey Arnold!	Sewer King	Voice, Episode: "The Sewer King"
1996–1997	Pacific Blue	Elvis Kryzcewski	14 episodes
1996–1998	Jungle Cubs	Arthur	Voice, 20 episodes
1997	L.A. Heat	Cecil Rusk	Episode: "In Transit"
	Nash Bridges	Norman Guilfoyle	Episode: "Gun Play"
	Johnny Bravo	Christopher / Beaver	Voice, 2 episodes
	Space Ghost Coast to Coast	Himself	Episode: "Boobookitty"
	The Weird Al Show	Miner	Episode: "Mining Accident"
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"
1999	Sabrina, the Teenage Witch	Postmaster	Episode: "Sabrina, the Teenage Writer"
	Mad About You	Announcer #1	Episode: "Separate Beds"
	Arliss	Wrestling Promoter	Episode: "To Thine Own Self Be True"
	Recess	Leonard Weems	Voice, 2 episodes
2000	100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd	Caesar	Voice, 2 episodes
2001	Black Scorpion	Eugene Gardner/Greenthumb	Episode: "Roses Are Red, You're Dead"
2001–2003	Oswald	Henry	Voice, 22 episodes
2002	The Simpsons	Squiggy	Voice, Episode: "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"
2009	Raising the Bar	Jury Foreman	Episode: "I'll Be Down to Get You in a Taxi, Honey"
2009–2011	The Garfield Show	Doc Boy	Voice, 4 episodes
2015	Break a Hip	Charlie	6 episodes
2016	SpongeBob SquarePants	Donnie the Shark	Voice, Episode: "Sharks vs. Pods"
2017	Goldie & Bear	Rumpelstiltskin	Voice, Episode: "Gnome Family Reunion/Adorable Norm" (final role)

Video games credits

Year	Title	Role
1997	Lego Island	The Brickster, Shark, Gideon Worse
	Zork: Grand Inquisitor	Voice of the Inquisition, Bickering Torch

External links

• David Lander at the Internet Movie Database
• David Lander at AllMovie
• Lenny and the Squigtones at allmusic
• David Lander discography at Discogs