BERNIE KOPELL BIO

While driving a taxi in 1958, Bernie got an unexpected "break." He picked up Dick Einfeld who was producing The Oregon Trail starring Fred MacMurray at 20th Century Fox. Bernie convinced the skeptical Einfeld that he was not a cab driver but a misplaced actor. Einfeld cast Bernie in the film as Polk's secretary. With this role Kopell joined the actor's union (SAG) and spoke two lines - "Yes, sir." and "No Sir."

From this inauspicious beginning, Bernie began an unlikely four-year stint playing Latin characters on television. He played a Cuban heavy on A Brighter Day, numerous Mexicans on The Danny Kaye Show, The Jack Benny Show, My Favorite Martian, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Steve Allen Show and a Puerto Rican dentist on The Flying Nun.

He landed a role playing the Russian peddler in a stage production ofThe 49th Cousin where he caught the eye of producer Leonard Stern. Stern cast Bernie as Seigfried in Get Smart and as Howard Wagner in the CBS Special Death of a Salesman starring Lee J. Cobb.

Throughout the 60's Bernie appeared simultaneously in Get Smart, That Girl, The Doris Day Show and Bewitched. He became known as an actor with an enormous facility with accents and was known as Bill Asher's (producer of Bewitched) number one boy. Need an ancient Apothecary? Call Bernie. Need a Viennese psychiatrist? Call Bernie. Need a German submarine captain? Call Bernie.

Of course Kopell is known the world over as Dr. Adam Bricker, the ship's medic from The Love Boat. Interestingly, he was not the first choice for the role. His good friend Dick Van Patten had been slated to play the ship's doctor (originally named Adam O'Neil), but ABC (who held Van Patten's contract) wanted him on Eight is Enough. After screen testing him, Aaron Spelling gave Kopell the nod and a television icon was created. While working on the first episode, it was decided that Kopell didn't look like an "O'Neil" and the doctor's name was changed to Adam Bricker.

Since The Love Boat Bernie has been seen in many projects including Diagnosis Murder, Bug Buster, Follow Your Heart, Beverly Hills 90210, Charmed, and numerous specials and commercials.

Bernie is a health and fitness devotee. He is the California Chairman of the American Heart Association's "Jump Rope for Heart" program and participates in many celebrity tennis tournaments for various charities around the world.

Despite his fame and accolades, Bernie's favorite production to discuss is his first child Adam Alexander who was born October 31, 1997. Kopell describes his son as "big blue eyed and brilliant funny." Clearly Adam takes after his dad. --TVLAND