David Paymer

Born: August 30 1954
Where: Long Island, New York, USA

The actor is probably best known for the role of Stan in Billy Crystal's Mr Saturday Night.

The 1992 comedy, also starring Helen Hunt, about a funnyman fallen on hard times attracted both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.

Paymer made his feature debut as a cab driver in The In-Laws in 1979 and went on to have small parts in movies including Airplane II, Best Defence and Perfect.

He played a scientist in both Howard The Duck and Night of the Creeps and also appeared in the Dudley Moore comedy Crazy People in 1990.

The Oscar nomination landed a critically applauded role in Robert Redford's Quiz Show as Dan Enright.

Paymer returned in three notable 1995 films: Barry Sonnenfeld's Get Shorty, Rob Reiner's The American President and Oliver Stone's Nixon.

The following year found him supporting Al Pacino's charismatic mayor in City Hall as a poker-playing political fixer.

He also had a small role as an assistant medical examiner in John Dahl's Unforgettable and a workaholic ad man forced to drive a bank-robbing Tom Arnold and a van full of kids in Carpool.

Other appearances have included Steven Spielberg's Amistad, Mighty Joe Young and David Mamet's State and Main.

Recent work has included the drama Focus and off-kilter Bartleby as well as Rob Reiner's Alex and Emma.