Michael Lembeck

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Michael Lembeck
Born (1948-06-25) June 25, 1948 (age 73)
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
OccupationActor, film director
Years active1968–present
Spouse(s)Barbara Deutsch
(m. 1977; div. 19??)
​
​
(m. 1990)​
Children3
Parent(s)

Michael Lembeck (born June 25, 1948) is an American actor and television and film director.[1]

Life and career[]

Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Caroline Dubs and Harvey Lembeck, an actor and comedian. His parents practiced the Jewish Faith.[2] He began acting in the late 1960s and directing in the 1970s.

His most notable acting role was as Julie Cooper (Mackenzie Phillips)'s husband, Max Horvath, on the sitcom One Day at a Time.[3] He played newscaster Clete Meizenheimer on the series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

In 1975, he appeared on Barney Miller in the episode "Hair" as Officer Guardeno.[3] He also played Kaptain Kool of the fictional band Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on The Krofft Supershow from 1976 to 1978. He is also known for his role as Vinnie Fazio in The Boys in Company C in 1978.[3] He was a member of the cast of the 1985–1986 situation comedy Foley Square. He appeared with his father, actor Harvey Lembeck, in an episode of The Partridge Family in 1971.

Lembeck has had collaborations with actor Peter Boyle (with whom he had previously appeared as an actor in Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8) in both The Santa Clause 2 and its sequel The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. Lembeck also directed Boyle in a number of episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond.

Lembeck's first film appearance came in the 1968 film Hang 'Em High where he portrays a store clerk with two spoken lines. He later acted in The In-Laws.[4] He directed The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, as well as the Nia Vardalos film Connie and Carla and Tooth Fairy.[1]

Lembeck now works as a full-time film and TV director. He won an Emmy for his work on the Friends episode "The One After the Superbowl". He also directed 20 other episodes of the series.[citation needed]

Personal life[]

Lembeck is married to his second wife, retired actress Lorna Patterson. They raised two children, daughter Mimi and son Sam.[5][6]

Awards[]

Lembeck's work has received recognition from the Directors Guild of America, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (also known as the ATAS).[7]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Credited as Role Notes
Director Producer Actor
1968 Hang 'Em High No No Yes Store Clerk film debut
uncredited
1969 Gidget Grows Up No No Yes Arnold Television Movie
1972 Haunts of the Very Rich No No Yes Johnny Delmonico Television Movie
1973 A Summer Without Boys No No Yes Burt Television Movie
1973 Blood Sport No No Yes Rueben Television Movie
1975 It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman No No Yes Joe Television Movie
1976 Flannery and Quilt No No Yes Quilt's Grandson Television Movie
1976 ABC's Saturday Sneak Peek No No Yes Kaptain Kool Television Movie
1977 Kaptain Kool and the Kongs Present ABC All-Star Saturday No No Yes Kaptain Kool Television Movie
1978 The Boys in Company C No No Yes Vinnie Fazio Feature Film
1978 Having Babies III No No Yes Russ Bridges Television Movie
1978 The Krofft Comedy Hour No No Yes Kaptain Kool Television Movie
1978 The Bay City Rollers Met the Saturday Superstars No No Yes Kaptain Kool Television Movie
1979 The In-Laws No No Yes Tommy Ricardo Feature Film
1980 The Comeback Kid No No Yes Tony Television Movie
1980 Gorp No No Yes Kavell Feature Film
1980 Dan August: Once Is Never Enough No No Yes unknown Television Movie
1981 On the Right Track No No Yes Frank Biscardi Feature Film
1982 Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever No No Yes Elliott Garfield Television Movie
1987 Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 No No Yes Abbie Hoffman Television Movie
1987 Ultraman: The Adventure Begins No No Yes Scott Masterson (voice role) Television Movie
1988 Side by Side No No Yes Tony Mercer Television Movie
1988 Lady Mobster No No Yes unknown Television Movie
1989 The Dream Team No No Yes Ed Feature Film
1990 Joseph and His Brothers No No Yes unknown (voice role) Short Film
1991 Acting Sheriff Yes No No N/A Television Movie
1993 Heartbeat No No Yes Ted Television Movie
1996 Boys & Girls Yes No No N/A Television Movie
1998 Carly Yes No No N/A Television Movie
1999 True Love Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2000 The Peter Principle Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2000 From Where I Sit Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2001 Loomis Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2002 The Santa Clause 2 Yes No No N/A Feature Film
2004 Connie and Carla Yes No No N/A Feature Film
2005 Untitled Oakley & Weinstein Project Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2006 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Yes No No N/A Feature Film
2006 So Here's What Happened Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2008 The Clique Yes No No N/A Direct-to-Video
2010 Tooth Fairy Yes No No N/A Feature Film
2011 Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure Yes Yes No N/A Direct-to-Video

Co-Producer

2011 The Bling Ring Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2013 Homeboys Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2016 A Nutcracker Christmas Yes No No N/A Television Movie
2021 Queen Bees Yes No No N/A Feature Film

Television[]

Year Title Credited as Role Notes
Director Producer Actor
1970 The Young Lovers No No Yes Student Episode: "A Simple Thing Called Justice"
1970-1974 Room 222 No No Yes Mickey Kaufman 3 episodes
1971 Dan August No No Yes Ron Episode: "Death Chain"
1971 The Partridge Family No No Yes Marc Episode: "To Play or Not to Play?"
1971 Make Room for Granddaddy No No Yes Peter Episode: "The Greatest Ear in the Business"
1971 The Funny Side No No Yes Teenage Husband 6 episodes
1973 Love, American Style No No Yes Bob Episode: "Love and the Mind Reader/Love and the Mr. and Mrs./Love and the Soap Opera"

segment "Love and the Mind Reader"

1975 Happy Days No No Yes Dooley Episode: "Crusin' "
1975 Baretta No No Yes Phil Episode: "The Coppelli Oath"
1975 Barney Miller No No Yes Detective Paul Gardeno Episode: "Hair"
1975 The Rookies No No Yes Gene/Maury 2 episodes
1976 The Krofft Supershow No No Yes Kaptain Kool unknown episode
1976-1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman No No Yes Clete Meizenheimer 39 episodes
1977 The Brady Bunch Variety Hour No No Yes Kaptain Kook Episode: "#1.1"
1978 What Really Happened to the Class of '65? No No Yes Nick Romansky Episode: "Class Clown"
1978 The Bay City Roller Show No No Yes Kaptain Kool Episode: "#1.1"
1979-1983 The Love Boat No No Yes Joey 5 episodes
1979-1984 One Day at a Time No No Yes Max Horvath series regular; 49 episodes
1981 Aloha Paradise No No Yes Josh Episode: "Best of Friends/Success/Nine Karats"
1982 Darkroom No No Yes Barry Episode: "Who's There?"
1982 Insight No No Yes J. Walter Episode: "For Love or Money"
1983-1984 Fantasy Island No No Yes Joe Manning/Dr. Russ Nicholas 2 episodes
1985 The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible No No Yes unknown Episode: Joseph and His Brothers"
1985 Crazy Like a Fox No No Yes Andy Farr Episode: "Is There a Fox in the House?"
1985-1986 Foley Square No No Yes Peter Newman series regular; 14 episodes
1987 Murder, She Wrote No No Yes Arnie Wakeman Episode: "When Thieves Fall Out"
1987 Pound Puppies No No Yes Various Characters (voice role) 4 episodes
1987-1988 The Smurfs No No Yes Additional Voices (voice role) 2 episodes
1988-1989 Fantastic Max No No Yes Additional Voiced (voice role) 3 episodes
1989 Doctor Doctor Yes No No N/A 2 episodes
1989 My Two Dads Yes No No N/A Episode: "I'm Dreaming of a Holiday Episode"
1989 Coming of Age Yes No No N/A 3 episodes
1989 The Famous Teddy Z No No Yes Landon Tarmac Episode: "Bobby the Chimp"
1989-1990 Coach Yes No No N/A 7 episodes
1990 Sugar and Spice Yes No No N/A Episode: "Breaking in Is Hard to Do"
1990 The Marshall Chronicles Yes No No N/A 2 episodes
1992 Flying Blind Yes No No N/A 5 episodes
1992 Fish Police No No Yes unknown (voice role) Episode: "The Two Gils"
1990-1993 Major Dad Yes No No N/A 67 episodes
1993 L.A. Law No No Yes Mitchell Schein Episode: "Come Rain or Schein"
1993-1994 Love & War Yes No No N/A 16 episodes
1994 Good Advice Yes No No N/A 4 episodes
1994-1999 Mad About You Yes No Yes Mr. Shapiro 23 episodes (director); Episode: "Two Tickets to Paradise" (actor)
1995 Pride & Joe Yes No No N/A Episode: "Terror at 30,000 Feet"
1995 High Society Yes No No N/A Episode: "Family Val's"
1995 NewsRadio Yes No No N/A 3 episodes
1995 Double Rush Yes No Yes Angus Black" 13 episodes (director); Episode: "Snowings and Goings" (actor)
1995-2000 Friends Yes No No N/A 24 episodes
1996 The Naked Truth Yes No No N/A Episode: "Man Loses Load While Woman Can't Dump!"
1995-1996 Hope & Gloria Yes No No N/A 8 episodes
1996 Party Girl Yes No No N/A unknown episode
1996 Caroline in the City Yes No No N/A Episode: "Caroline and the Cat Dancer"
1996 Ellen Yes No No N/A Episode: "Harold and Ellen"
1996-1997 Everybody Loves Raymond Yes No No N/A 5 episodes
1997 Men Behaving Badly Yes No No N/A Episode: "It's Good to Be Dead"
1997 Chicago Sons Yes No No N/A 2 episodes
1997 Over the Top Yes No No N/A 10 episodes
1997-1999 Veronica's Closet Yes No No N/A 4 episodes
1998 House Rules Yes No No N/A Episode: "Pilot"
1998 That's Life Yes No No N/A Episode: "The First One"
1998 Encore! Encore! Yes No No N/A Episode: "The French Connection"
1998-2001 Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place Yes No No N/A 22 episodes
1999 Jesse Yes No No N/A 2 episodes
1999-2000 Stark Raving Mad Yes No No N/A 2 episodes
2000 The Weber Show Yes No No N/A 2 episodes; also known as "Cursed"
2001 What About Joan Yes No No N/A 4 episodes
2001 Inside Schwartz Yes No No N/A Episode: "Event Night"
2001 Off Centre Yes No No N/A Episode: "A Stroke of Genius"
2001 According to Jim Yes No No N/A Episode: "Cheryl's Old Flame"
2003 The 5 Coolest Things Yes No No N/A Television Miniseries Documentary
2007 Greek Yes No No N/A Episode: "Liquid Courage"
2007 Californication Yes No No N/A Episode: "Fear and Loathing at the Fundraiser"
2010 Hot in Cleveland Yes No No N/A Episode: "Pilot"
2012-2013 Guys with Kids Yes No No N/A 5 episodes
2012-2017 Baby Daddy Yes Yes Yes Director 97 episodes (director); 35 episodes (executive producer); Episode: "Over My Dead Bonnie" (actor)
2014 Mystery Girls Yes No No N/A 4 episodes
2015 Mr. Robinson Yes No No N/A Episode: "Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog"
2017 One Day at a Time Yes No No N/A Episode: "Sex Talk"

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Holden, Stephen (January 21, 2010). "Nonbelievers Must Wear Tutus". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Abramovitch, Ilana and Galvin, Seán (2002) Jews of Brooklyn Boston: Brandeis University Press. Accessed January 1, 2016.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Michael Lembeck". TVGuide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  4. ^ Maslin, Janet (June 15, 1979). "Film: Arkin and Falk In Comic 'In-Laws':Comedy of Insanity". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Rudetsky, Seth (May 31, 2016). "Onstage and Backstage: Seth Takes a Trip Back to the '70s". Playbill. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Magruder, Melonie (May 20, 2009). "From stewardess to cantor". The Malibu Times. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "Michael Lembeck". IMDb. Retrieved June 12, 2018.

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