Michael Fairman

Michael Fairman, born February 25, 1934, is an American actor and writer whose career has spanned stage, television, and film.

Fairman's stage work includes two Broadway productions between 1965 and 1970: Cactus Flower and The Gingerbread Lady.

On television, Fairman is recognized for several recurring roles, among them Nick Szabo on the daytime drama Ryan's Hope, Department Inspector Knelman on Cagney & Lacey, and Patrick Murphy on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. His television appearances extend across decades and include Charlie's Angels, Eight Is Enough, Barnaby Jones, Taxi, WKRP in Cincinnati, McClain's Law, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Remington Steele, Hill Street Blues, The Dukes of Hazzard, Newhart, 21 Jump Street, Dynasty, Night Court, My Two Dads, Quantum Leap, Cheers, Wings, Murder She Wrote, Mad About You, Alien Nation, Seinfeld, L.A. Law, ER, Murphy Brown, Brooklyn South, The X-Files, Viper, Providence, Boy Meets World, Sunset Beach, Family Law, Boston Public, The King of Queens, Dharma & Greg, JAG, Firefly, Judging Amy, Just Shoot Me!, 7th Heaven, Without a Trace, Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Sons of Anarchy, and Monk. He also wrote five episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati.

His film credits include Thirteen Days, in which he portrayed United States Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson II, a supporting role as Jason in Mulholland Drive, and an appearance as a churchgoer named Randall in Father Stu.

Fairman was a longtime member of the Church of Scientology, appearing in several of the organization's promotional training films and attaining the OT VII level. He left the church in January 2011, around the time he was designated a Suppressive Person.