Bill Kirchenbauer (February 19, 1953) is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comic. who appeared on Mork & Mindy in the recurring role of the shallow, obnoxious, arrogant, kinda sleazy and rather geeky-looking womanizer Todd Norman "TNT" Taylor in four episodes in Seasons 1, 3 and 4.
Biography[]
Kirchenbauer was born William Alfred Kirchenbauer on February 19, 1953 in Salzburg, Austria, the son of Hester Elaine (née Andrews) and Alfred Ellsworth Kirchenbauer, who served in the U.S. Army. As with many military kids, he spent a lot of time moving around and attending a variety of schools which gave him the diversity of experience.[1]
He married Lynn Robbins in 1987 and they have one son, Reid Kirchenbauer (b.1991).
Bill is also the founder of the Uncle Crazie's Comedy Club in Bee Cave, Texas, a Austin suburb, which he founded in 2016.[2]
Career[]
After High School, Kirchenbauer eschewed University going on to study mime, ventriloquism, and improvisation, leading up to his winning the first Stand Up Competition in Los Angeles in 1978.
Prior to that in 1977 he had landed the role of Tony Roletti in Norman Lear's satirical parody of a Talk Show, Fernwood 2 Night, taking the part on to America 2 Night (1978)
The same year Connie Stevens introduced Bill for his stand-up appearance on Season 1, Episode 24 of The Comedy Shop with Norm Crosby... Following that Kirchenbauer appeared on Late Night With David Letterman and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Carson liking Kirchenbauer so much he booked him for 10 more appearances.[3] 1979 marked the year of his first appearance on Mork & Mindy as the 'proto' Todd Norman Taylor. Kirchenbauer going on to appear in shows such as Joanie Loves Chachi; Nightcourt; Frasier and Dream On, while landing the recurring role of Coach Graham Lubbock in Growing Pains and its spin-off Just the Ten of Us, while later playing Coach 'Bullock' in the TV Series version of Clueless (1997 - 1999).[4]
Filmography[]
| Year | TV Series | Episode(s) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Fernwood Tonight | 5 Episodes | Tony Rolletti |
| 1978 | America 2-Night | 5 Episodes | Tony Rolletti |
| 1979-1982 | Mork & Mindy | Mork's Mixed Emotions
Mork the Prankster Mork the Swinging Single Drive, She Said |
Todd Norman Taylor |
| 1982 | Joanie Loves Chachi | Goodbye Delvecchio's, Hello World | Phil |
| 1985 | Night Court | Wheels of Justice: Part 2 | Anthony Rego |
| 1986-1989 | Growing Pains | 8 episodes | Coach Lubbock |
| 1987 | Mama's Family | Mama with the Golden Arm | Floyd |
| 1987-1990 | Just the Ten of Us | 48 episodes | Coach Graham T. Lubbock |
| 1990 | ABC TGIF | Episode #1.19 | Coach Graham T. Lubbock |
| 1994 | Dream On | The Homecoming Queen | Mitch |
| 1995 | Live Shot | T.G.I.F.
For Whom the Stinkin' Bell Tolls |
Billy |
| 1996 | Dave's World | Fame | Roy |
| 1997 | Family Matters | Dumb Belle of the Ball | Dr. Rubin |
| 1997 | The Weird Al Show | Back to School | Cold Relief Man |
| 1997-1999 | Clueless | Homecoming Queen
Dance Fever Friends Popularity |
Coach Graham Bullock |
| 1999 | L.A. Heat | Strip Show | Al Banks |
| 2001 | 18 Wheels of Justice | Crossing the Line | |
| 2004 | Frasier | Frasier-Lite | Wayne |
| 2005 | The Suite Life of Zack & Cody | To Catch a Thief | Police Officer |
| 2015 | The Leftovers | Off Ramp | Martin |
| Year | Movie | Role | |
| 1979 | Skatetown U.S.A. | Skatetown Doctor | |
| 1980 | Gorp | Wino Willie | |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Captain Geline | |
| 1981 | Full Moon High | Flynn | |
| 1982 | Movie Madness | Crazed Husband ("Municipalians") | |
| 1982 | They Call Me Bruce | Polish Killer | |
| 1984 | Night Patrol | Mad Gunman (as Bill Kirkenbaur) | |
| 1984 | The Investigators | Angry Arnie | |
| 1985 | Stoogemania | Gower | |
| 1999 | The Story of Us | Andy Kirby | |
| 2000 | The Alternate | Loud Texan | |
| 2003 | Nobody Knows Anything! | Jimmy's Father | |
| 2004 | A Lousy 10 Grand | Irate Man at ATM | |
| 2006 | Unbeatable Harold | Short order cook | |
| 2011 | Walking Through Fires | Dave | |
| Year | TV Movie | Role | |
| 1981 | Pray TV | Elvin | |
| 1990 | Jury Duty; The Comedy | Nick Grady | |
He also lent his voice to Garfield and Friends (1993) and appeared in the direct to video films Project Shadowchaser III (1995) and Perfect Game (2000)
Behind the Scenes[]
Kirchenbauer's TNT was one of the few recurring characters to appear across multiple seasons without being a 'regular', with his customer in Mork's Mixed Emotions, re-appearing, chains and all for two more appearances in Season 3 and again in Season 4. His first Season 3 appearance, in Mork the Prankster, saw him hitting relentlessly on Mindy, and including a classic 'invisible wall' lean in over her, which Kirchenbauer himself came up with during rehearsals with Pam Dawber, and which the writers liked so much included straight into filming the next day.