Terry Kiser

Terry Kiser is an American actor born on August 1, 1939, in Omaha, Nebraska. He is widely recognized for portraying Bernie Lomax, the deceased title character in the 1989 comedy Weekend at Bernie's and its 1993 sequel, Weekend at Bernie's II. Over a career spanning more than fifty years, Kiser accumulated more than 140 acting credits across film, television, and stage.

Kiser attended the University of Kansas on dual scholarships in football and drama, ultimately earning a degree in Industrial Engineering. Following graduation, he returned to Omaha and spent three years working as an engineer while simultaneously performing in amateur theatrical productions, appearing in more than fifty plays during that period. He eventually relocated to New York City, where his first two years brought a range of small parts in theater, television, and commercials.

By 1967, Kiser had earned significant recognition on the New York stage, receiving both an Obie Award and a Theatre World Award for his work in Fortune and Men's Eyes. His Broadway career ran from 1970 to 1974 and included appearances in Paris Is Out!, The Complex, Shelter, and God's Favorite. He became a life member of The Actors Studio during this period.

Kiser established a steady presence in television throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. He was a regular on the soap operas The Secret Storm and The Doctors, and in 1978 he starred in two short-lived sitcoms, Sugar Time! and The Roller Girls. His guest appearances during this era included Three's Company, One Day at a Time, Maude, The Love Boat, Night Court, 227, Hardcastle and McCormick, and The Golden Girls. On Hill Street Blues, he played comedian Vic Hitler, known on the show as Vic the Narcoleptic Comic. He was also a cast member on the syndicated sketch comedy series Off the Wall and appeared as part of the ensemble on Carol Burnett's Carol & Company, which aired in 1990 and 1991.

His film work prior to Weekend at Bernie's included Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider (1979), Rich Kids (1979), Steel (1979), An Eye for an Eye (1981), Making Love (1982), Six Pack (1982), Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land (1983), Surf II (1984), From a Whisper to a Scream (1987), and Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988). In Weekend at Bernie's, Kiser played Bernie Lomax, a corrupt insurance executive who is dead for the majority of the film while his two young employees, portrayed by Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman, attempt to pass him off as still alive. He reprised the role in the 1993 sequel. YouTube videos featuring what became known as the Bernie Dance collectively surpassed 17 million views by April 2016. Additional film credits include Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991), Into the Sun (1992), The Pledge (2011), and A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013).

During the 1990s, Kiser continued working in television, with appearances on Walker, Texas Ranger, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will & Grace, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, in which he played H. G. Wells. In 2013, Kiser relocated to Austin, Texas, where he founded an acting school called The Actors Arena. The school operated until 2016.