Avery Schreiber
American actor and comedian (1935–2002)
title: "Avery Schreiber" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1935-births", "2002-deaths", "american-male-comedians", "american-male-film-actors", "american-male-stage-actors", "american-male-television-actors", "comedians-from-chicago", "male-actors-from-chicago", "20th-century-american-comedians", "20th-century-american-male-actors", "jewish-american-male-actors", "jewish-american-comedians"] description: "American actor and comedian (1935–2002)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Schreiber" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American actor and comedian (1935–2002) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Avery Schreiber |
| image | Avery Schreiber and Jack Burns 1966.jpg |
| caption | Schreiber (left) with Jack Burns in 1966 |
| birth_name | Avery Lawrence Schreiber |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| occupation | Actor, comedian |
| years_active | 1964–2001 |
| spouse | |
| children | 2 |
| :: |
| name = Avery Schreiber | image = Avery Schreiber and Jack Burns 1966.jpg | caption = Schreiber (left) with Jack Burns in 1966 | birth_name = Avery Lawrence Schreiber | birth_date = | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = Actor, comedian | years_active = 1964–2001 | spouse = | children = 2 ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Avery_Schreiber_Barbara_Babcock_Jack_Burns_Love_American_Style.jpeg" caption="[[Barbara Babcock]] (left) with Schreiber (right) and [[Jack Burns]] in ''[[Love, American Style]]'' (1973)"] ::
Avery Lawrence Schreiber (April 9, 1935 – January 7, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. He was a veteran of stage, television, and movies who came to prominence in the 1960s in a comedy duo with Jack Burns. He acted in an array of roles mostly on television sitcoms and a series of popular advertisements for Doritos tortilla chips.
Life and career
Schreiber was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Minnie (née Shear) and George Schreiber.
Schreiber is remembered for his many Doritos commercials during the 1970s and 1980s, as well as his appearances on several television series. He was known for his trademark bushy handlebar moustache, curly hair, and comedic reactions. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Jack_Albertson_Freddie_Prinze_Avery_Schreiber_Chico_and_the_Man_1975.JPG" caption="[[Jack Albertson]], Avery Schreiber, and [[Freddie Prinze]] on ''[[Chico and the Man]]'' (1975)"] ::
In 1965, Schreiber played the role of Captain Manzini on My Mother the Car. In the summer of 1973, he co-hosted the ABC comedy The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour. He was a regular guest star on the situation comedy Chico and the Man, and was also a frequent guest panelist on the game show Match Game, and a guest in a first-season episode of The Muppet Show (written by former partner Jack Burns, whom he mentioned during a stand-up routine in the episode). In addition, he participated in the 1980 Tournament of Celebrities on the Jim Perry-hosted version of Card Sharks. He appeared on The Love Boat S8 E13 as Patrick Turney in a Christmas-themed vignette "Santa, Santa, Santa" which aired on December 15, 1984.
His movie appearances include The Monitors (the first film production of Chicago's Second City comedy troupe, 1969), Don't Drink the Water (1969), Deadhead Miles (1972), Swashbuckler (1976), The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), The Concorde... Airport '79, Silent Scream (1979), Scavenger Hunt (1979), Caveman (1981), Jimmy the Kid (1983) and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).
Avery continued to work in film, television and theater, as well as teaching improvisational theater technique up until the time of his death. He taught master classes at The Second City in Chicago and Los Angeles.
He and his wife Rochelle had two children.
Death
In 1994, Schreiber suffered a heart attack resulting from complications of diabetes. Although he survived triple coronary artery bypass surgery, he never fully recovered. He died of another heart attack on January 7, 2002, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Legacy
In 2003, the Avery Schreiber Theatre was founded in North Hollywood, California. In 2013, the Avery Schreiber Theatre changed its name to The Avery Schreiber Playhouse with the approval of Rochelle Isaacs Schreiber (née Shelley), Avery's widow. It is located at 4934 Lankershim Boulevard in the NoHo Arts District.
Filmography
Features
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Monitors | Max Jordan | |
| 1969 | Don't Drink the Water | The Sultan | |
| 1972 | Deadhead Miles | Boss Fulano | |
| 1976 | Swashbuckler | Pulaski | |
| 1977 | The Last Remake of Beau Geste | Arab Chieftain / Used Camel Salesman | |
| 1978 | Loose Shoes | Theatre Manager | |
| 1978 | Christmas at Walt Disney World | Geppetto | |
| 1979 | The Concorde... Airport '79 | Russian coach Markov | |
| 1979 | Silent Scream | Sgt. Manny Ruggin | |
| 1979 | Scavenger Hunt | Zookeeper | |
| 1980 | Steve Martin: All Commercials | ||
| 1980 | Galaxina | Captain Cornelius Butt | |
| 1981 | Caveman | Ock | |
| 1983 | Jimmy the Kid | Dr. Stevens | |
| 1984 | Cannonball Run II | Uncredited | |
| 1987 | Hunk | Constatine Constapopolis | |
| 1988 | Saturday the 14th Strikes Back | Frank Baxter | |
| 1993 | Robin Hood: Men in Tights | Tax Assessor | |
| 1995 | Dracula: Dead and Loving It | Peasant on Coach | |
| 1997 | The Lay of the Land | Dean Bill Whittier | |
| 1998 | The Russian Room | Old Russian Man | Short |
| 2000 | Rebel Yell | Granddaddy of Punk | |
| 2000 | Pedestrian | ||
| 2001 | Dying on the Edge | Saul | |
| :: |
Television
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | East Side/West Side | Truck Driver | |
| 1964 | Vacation Playhouse | ||
| 1965-1966 | My Mother the Car | Captain Bernard Manzini | 11 episodes |
| 1967 | Our Place | ||
| 1968 | Premiere | Spivak | |
| 1968 | Get Smart | Oleg | |
| 1969 | The Mothers-in-Law | Mr.Crawford | |
| 1969-1973 | Love, American Style | Season 1, Episode 7: Love and the Advice-Givers | |
| 1969 | The Ghost and Mrs. Muir | Fire Commissioner Lilly | Season 2, Episode 10: The Firehouse Five Plus Ghost |
| 1969-1970 | That Girl | Al Taylor | Season 4, Episodes 1 and 2: Mission Improbable, Part 1 and Part 2 |
| 1970 | The Doris Day Show | Warren Coleman | |
| 1971 | Story Theatre | ||
| 1971 | Escape | Nicholas Slye | TV movie |
| 1972 | McCloud | Milton | |
| 1972 | Second Chance | Roberto Gazzari | TV movie |
| 1973 | The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour | Host | Unknown episodes |
| 1974 | The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine | Mr. Evil | Saturday Morning Variety Series |
| 1975 | Ben Vereen... Comin' at Ya | Regular Performer | Unknown episodes |
| 1975 | Chico and the Man | Gypsy / Fortune Teller | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | Sammy and Company | Himself | 3 episodes |
| 1976 | The Muppet Show | Himself | |
| 1976 | The Rockford Files | Azie Boyajian | Episode: Rattlers' Class of '63 |
| 1976 | Monster Squad | The Weatherman | Episode: The Weatherman |
| 1977 | Sha Na Na | Himself | |
| 1977 | Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready | Announcer | TV movie |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Everett Buell | Season 2, Episode 1 & 2 |
| 1979 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Wendel | Episode 1:13 - Double Sting |
| 1979 | Flatbed Annie & Sweetiepie: Lady Truckers | Munroe | TV movie |
| 1980 | Avery Schreiber Live From the Second City | Himself | TV movie |
| 1980 | More Wild Wild West | Russian Ambassador | TV movie |
| 1982 | Fantasy Island | Ed Turner | |
| 1984 | The Fall Guy | Truck Driver | (Episode 4:1 - Losers Weepers) |
| 1984 | Faerie Tale Theatre Pinocchio | Boatman | |
| 1985 | The Pound Puppies | Tubbs | Voice, TV movie |
| 1985 | Shadow Chasers | Jordan Kerner | |
| 1985-1987 | The Smurfs | Additional Voices | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Outlaws | Halifax | |
| 1987 | Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats | Benny the Ball | Voice, TV movie |
| 1988 | A Pup Named Scooby-Doo | Additional Voices | 13 episodes |
| 1989 | Saved by the Bell | Dr. Mertz | |
| 1990 | Wake, Rattle & Roll | Dr. Lester T. Quirk | Voice, TV Series, Unknown episodes |
| 1992 | Days of Our Lives | Leopold Alamain | |
| 1993-1995 | Animaniacs | Beanie the Brain-Dead Bison | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 1999 | Becker | Man Outside Reggie's Diner | |
| :: |
References
References
- "Avery Schreiber Biography (1935-2002)".
- McLELLAN, DENNIS. (2002-01-09). "Avery Schreiber, 66; Jack Burns' Comedy Partner".
- Hollandsworth, Skip. (January 1996). "Lay's of Our Lives". [[Texas Monthly]].
- "The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour".
- McLellan, Dennis. (January 9, 2002). "Avery Schreiber, 66; Jack Burns' Comedy Partner". [[Los Angeles Times]].
- (January 9, 2002). "Avery Schreiber, 66, Doritos Funnyman". [[The New York Times]].
- Knolle, Sharon. (15 June 2013). "NoHo's Avery Schreiber Theater Shutting Down After 10 Years".
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