David Lander American actor Date of Birth: 22.06.1947 Country: USA

1. Biography of David Lander
2. Early Life and Career
3. Breakthrough and Success
4. Film and Television Career
5. Battle with Multiple Sclerosis

Biography of David Lander

David L. Lander, an American actor, is best known for his role as Squiggy, the chubby curly-haired neighbor in the hit 70s sitcom "Laverne and Shirley". A talented comedian, writer, and actor, Lander appeared in movies such as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", "A League of Their Own", "Used Cars", and "The Man with One Red Shoe".

Early Life and Career

David L. Lander was born on June 22, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, and was the youngest son in a family of school teachers. At the age of 10, David decided to become an actor. He took his first conscious steps towards acting at the age of 14, attending the New York School of Performing Arts. After that, he continued his education at Carnegie College and then went to Hollywood. There, he immersed himself in show business, starting out as a writer for various television shows like "ROMP!".

Breakthrough and Success

Lander then worked as a telephone operator, a job that showcased his sense of humor and talent for voice impersonations, catching the attention of a radio producer. He arranged an audition for David on the satirical news radio program "The Credibility Gap". It was on this show that David, along with Michael McKean, first introduced the characters Lenny and Squiggy before portraying them live. One of the listeners of the program was Penny Marshall, who had just sold the newly filmed series "Laverne and Shirley" to ABC. She asked Michael and David to perform at one of her parties, where Penny's brother, Gary Marshall, saw their comedic act and offered them their own show. Thus, Lenny and Squiggy appeared in more than two hundred episodes over the seven-year run of the show (1976-1983).

Film and Television Career

David Lander also appeared in several feature films, including "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", "1941", "Used Cars", "The Man with One Red Shoe", "A League of Their Own", "Scary Movie", and "Say It Isn't So". He lent his voice to animated characters in shows like "Oswald", "Jungle Cubs", and "101 Dalmatians". Additionally, he had numerous guest roles on television and a recurring role in David Lynch's series "Twin Peaks".

Battle with Multiple Sclerosis

In 1999, Lander publicly revealed that he had been secretly battling multiple sclerosis for fifteen years. He wrote a book called "Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody", in which he describes his life with the disease and the strategies he used to conceal it. Despite his illness, Lander remains active and is an official spokesperson for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. His book became a bestseller and in 2000, he was honored by the MS community as "Ambassador of the Year".