{{short description|American actor (1947–2020)}} {{About|the American actor|the British television series|This Is David Lander}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = David Lander | image = David Lander 1976.JPG | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = Lander in 1976 | birth_name = David Leonard Landau | birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|6|22|}} | birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|12|04|1947|6|22}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | resting_place = Hollywood Forever Cemetery | alma_mater = Carnegie Tech, New York University | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|musician|baseball scout|activist|author}} | years_active = 1970–2017 | known_for = Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in ''Laverne & Shirley'' | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Thea Markus<br>|1969|1976|reason=divorced}} * {{marriage|Kathy Fields|1979}} }} | children = Natalie Lander }} '''David L. Lander''' (born '''David Leonard Landau'''; June 22, 1947 – December 4, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, musician, and baseball scout. He was best known for his portrayal of Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in the ABC sitcom ''Laverne & Shirley''. He served as a goodwill ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

==Early life== '''David Leonard Landau''' was born on June 22, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest son of two Jewish schoolteacher parents, Stella (Goldman) and Saul Landau.<ref name=NYT>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/obituaries/david-l-lander-dead.html|title=David L. Lander, Squiggy on 'Laverne & Shirley,' Dies at 73|first=Anita|last=Gates|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 7, 2020}}</ref>

Lander decided to become an actor when he was 10. He studied at the High School for the Performing Arts and continued at Carnegie Tech and New York University.<ref name="NMSS">{{cite web |title=David "Squiggy" Lander |url=http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Get-Involved/Personal-Stories/Ambassadors-Familiar-Faces/David-Squiggy-Lander |website=National Multiple Sclerosis Society |access-date=March 4, 2019 |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111704/https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Get-Involved/Personal-Stories/Ambassadors-Familiar-Faces/David-Squiggy-Lander |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was in high school he took the stage name of David Lander, which he would later legally adopt, after a classmate "borrowed" his real name to register with an actors' union.<ref name=NYT/>

==Career== He was best known for his role as Andrew Helmut "Squiggy" Squiggman on the situation comedy ''Laverne & Shirley'' from 1976 to 1982 along with sitcom sidekick Lenny, played by Michael McKean.<ref name = NYT/>

Lander's partnership with McKean began during their acting classes at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University, where they developed the characters of Lenny and Squiggy. After Pittsburgh, they teamed up in the Los Angeles–based comedy ensemble The Credibility Gap. The duo released an album as Lenny and the Squigtones in 1979 featuring Christopher Guest on guitar, credited as Nigel Tufnel, a name Guest would later reuse in the spoof rock band Spinal Tap. Lander and McKean also appeared together in the 1979 Steven Spielberg comedy ''1941'', and the 1980 Kurt Russell film ''Used Cars''. Lander voiced the main-cast character of Henry the penguin in the children's animated TV series ''Oswald'' from 2001 to 2003, with McKean voicing occasional guest characters in the series.

Lander appeared in numerous other TV shows, including ''The Bob Newhart Show'', ''Barney Miller'', ''Happy Days'' (as Squiggy), ''Viva Valdez'', ''Married... with Children'', ''Twin Peaks'', ''On the Air'', ''The Weird Al Show'', ''Mad About You'', ''Pacific Blue'', and ''The Drew Carey Show''. His other film roles included the part of a minor league baseball radio announcer in the film ''A League of Their Own'' (directed by ''Laverne & Shirley'' star Penny Marshall) and a bit part of the minister officiating the marriage ceremony in ''Say It Isn't So''. He also played "Tanning Intruder" in ''Christmas with the Kranks''. Lander created the starring role of the demented fast-food franchise clown Bruce Burger in the cult film ''Funland'', directed by Michael A. Simpson.

right|thumb|Lander giving an interview<!--Source channel appears to use interviews from various eras, do not think there's evidence to say it was from around when it was uploaded--> Lander's voice acting roles included the "dramatic reproduction" of Elvis Presley quotations for the Pop Chronicles music documentary<ref>{{cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19754/m1/ |title=Show 7 - The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 1&#93; : UNT Digital Library |publisher=Digital.library.unt.edu |date=March 23, 1969 |access-date=August 30, 2010}}</ref> and the voice of Jerry Lewis in the Filmation series ''Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down'' in 1970. He voiced "Doc Boy" Arbuckle, the farm-boy brother of Jon Arbuckle, in most animated adaptations of the ''Garfield'' franchise. Later voice roles included ''The Big Bang'', ''A Bug's Life'', ''Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills'', ''Titan A.E.'', ''Tom and Jerry: The Movie'' and the animated TV series ''Galaxy High'' as the six-armed Milo de Venus. In 2002, he reprised his role as Squiggy in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. Lander was the voice of Smart Ass, the chief weasel of Judge Doom's Toon Patrol in the 1988 Disney film ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''. Lander reprised his role as Smart Ass on the related ride, but the character was renamed Wiseguy. He was credited as Stephen Lander in ''Boo, Zino & the Snurks''. One of his later roles was that of Ch'p in the DC Comics animated film ''Green Lantern: First Flight''. His final credit was an episode of ''Goldie & Bear'' in 2017.<ref name = NYT/>

He played the psychiatrist in the video for "Why's Everybody Always Pickin' on Me?" by The Bloodhound Gang.

===Sports=== Lander, a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, had a small stake in the Portland Beavers. In 1997, he began work as a baseball talent scout, first for the Anaheim Angels, and later for the Seattle Mariners.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/sports/2001930270_squiggy16.html |title=Squiggy is in the house: 'Laverne and Shirley' star now M's scout |first=Les |last=Carpenter |newspaper=The Seattle Times |date=May 16, 2004 |access-date=September 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/david-lander-actor-baseball-scout-minor-league-team-owner-dies | title=Baseball scout & devotee, TV's 'Squiggy' dies | website=MLB.com }}</ref> He was a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, the baseball sabermetrics organization, for many years.

==Personal life== Lander was married to Thea Markus from 1969 until the couple divorced in 1976. He married Kathy Fields in 1979.<ref name = NYT/> His daughter with the latter is actress Natalie Lander.<ref name = NYT/>

===Health and death=== Lander was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1984. He went public in 1999 and regularly spoke at related conventions. In 2002, his autobiography was published, titled ''Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody'' ({{ISBN|1-58542-052-2}}), written with Lee Montgomery.

Lander died of complications from multiple sclerosis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on December 4, 2020. He was 73.<ref name = NYT/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-lander-dead-squiggy-laverne-shirley-was-73-1294535 |title=David L. Lander, Squiggy on 'Laverne & Shirley,' Dies at 73 |first=Barnes |last=Mike |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter |date=December 5, 2020 |access-date=December 5, 2020}}</ref> He was cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. His urn was entombed in a columbarium within its Abbey of Psalms Mausoleum.

==Filmography== ===Film credits=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1977 || ''Cracking Up'' || Carl Adler / Alistair Kakowski / Mr. Hickenlooper || Credited as The Credibility Gap |- |1979 || ''1941'' || Joe || |- |rowspan=2|1980 || ''Wholly Moses!'' || The Beggar || |- | ''Used Cars'' || Freddie Paris || |- |1982 || ''Pandemonium'' || Pepe || |- |1983 || ''Imps*'' || Fritz #1 || Segment: "Interrogation" |- |1985 || ''The Man with One Red Shoe'' || Stemple || |- |rowspan=3|1987 || ''The Big Bang'' || Fred || Voice |- | ''Steele Justice'' || Army Guard || |- | ''Funland'' || Bruce Burger || |- |1988 || ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' || Smart Ass || Voice<ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=David L. Lander (visual voices guide) |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/David-L-Lander/ |access-date=October 24, 2023 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> |- |1990 || ''Masters of Menace'' || Squirt || |- |1991 || ''Steel and Lace'' || Schumann || |- |rowspan=2|1992 || ''A League of Their Own'' || Radio Sportscaster || Uncredited |- | ''Tom and Jerry: The Movie'' || Frankie da Flea || Voice<ref name="btva" /> |- |1993 || ''Betrayal of the Dove'' || Norman || |- |1994 || ''Ava's Magical Adventure'' || The Mayor || |- |rowspan=2|1998 || ''A Bug's Life'' || Thumper || Voice, outtakes |- | ''The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' || Mayor Burgabom || |- |1999 || ''Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure'' || Bernie || Direct-to-video |- |rowspan=3|2000 || ''Titan A.E.'' || The Mayor || Voice<ref name="btva" /> |- | ''Scary Movie'' || Principal "Squiggy" Squiggman || |- | ''The Tangerine Bear'' || Theodore, Store Clerk || Voice, direct-to-video<ref name="btva" /> |- |rowspan=3|2001 || ''Say It Isn't So'' || Reverend Stillwater || |- | ''Dr. Dolittle 2'' || Bird || Voice<ref name="btva" /> |- | ''Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' || Yokian Guard, Gus || Voice<ref name="btva" /> |- |2002 || ''Jane White Is Sick & Twisted'' || Gerry King || |- |2004 || ''Christmas with the Kranks'' || Tanning Intruder || |- |rowspan=2|2006 || ''Zoom'' || Wendy's Employee || |- | ''Tomoko's Kitchen'' || Gene || Short |- |2009 || ''Green Lantern: First Flight'' || Ch'p|| Voice, direct-to-video<ref name="btva" /> |}

===Television credits=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1970–1972 || ''Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down'' || Jerry Lewis || Voice, 18 episodes |- | rowspan=2|1972 || ''Love, American Style'' || || Voice, episode: "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father" |- | ''The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie'' || Jud || Episode: "Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection" |- | 1974 || ''The Bob Newhart Show'' || Milt the Delivery Boy || Episode: "Ship of Shrinks" |- | rowspan=2|1975 || ''Rhoda'' || Mel Towers || Episode: "Call Me Grandma" |- | ''Barney Miller'' || David Gordon || Episode: "Hot Dogs" |- | 1976 || ''Viva Valdez'' || Harry || Episode: "Weekend" |- | 1976–1983 || ''Laverne & Shirley'' || Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman || 156 episodes |- | 1979 || ''Happy Days'' || Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman || Episode: "Fonzie's Funeral: Part 2" |- | 1984 || ''The Love Boat'' || Arnold Herlick || 2 episodes |- | rowspan=2|1985 || ''Highway to Heaven'' || Ed || Episode: "The Smile in the Third Row" |- | ''George Burns Comedy Week'' || || Episode: "The Honeybunnies" |- | rowspan=2|1986 || ''Tall Tales & Legends'' || Mr. Sylvester || Episode: "My Darlin' Clementine" |- | ''Galaxy High'' || Milo de Venus || Voice, 13 episodes |- | rowspan=2|1987 || ''Matlock'' || Eli Walsh || Episode: "The Convict" |- | ''A Garfield Christmas''|| Doc Boy || Voice<ref name="btva" /> |- | 1988 || ''Simon & Simon'' || Alvie 'The Weasel' Hortsnagel || Episode: "Bad Betty" |- | rowspan=6|1989 || ''Father Dowling Mysteries'' || Eric Becker || Episode: "What Do You Call a Call Girl Mystery" |- | ''Monsters'' || James Self || Episode: "Their Divided Self" |- | ''Married... with Children'' || Eli || Episode: "Married... with Prom Queen: The Sequel" |- | ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' || Ferengi Tactical Officer || Episode: "Peak Performance" |- | ''Knight & Daye'' || || Episode: "Stalk Radio" |- | ''Freddy's Nightmares'' || Lenny Nordhoff || Episode: "Lucky Stiff" |- |rowspan=4|1990 || ''Head of the Class'' || Mr. Freelik || Episode: "Alan Goes Crimson" |- | ''TaleSpin'' || Weazel || Voice, episode: "Vowel Play" |- | ''A Pup Named Scooby-Doo'' || || Voice, 3 episodes |- | ''Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone'' || || Voice, 13 episodes |- | 1990–1991 || ''Twin Peaks'' || Tim Pinkle || 3 episodes |- | 1991 || ''ProStars'' || || Voice |- | 1991–1993 || ''Tom & Jerry Kids'' || Bernie the Swallow || Voice, 3 episodes |- | rowspan=4|1992 || ''On the Air'' || Valdja Gochktch || 7 episodes |- | ''Camp Candy'' || Additional voices || Episode: "When It Rains... It Snows" |- | ''Batman: The Animated Series'' || Nitro || Voice, episode: "Appointment in Crime Alley"<ref name="btva" /> |- | ''The Little Mermaid'' || Da Shrimp || Voice, 3 episodes |- | rowspan=2|1993 || ''Matrix'' || Freddy Flanagan || Episode: "False Witness" |- | ''Family Album'' || Mr. DeVito || Episode: "Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall All You Gotta Do Is Call..." |- | 1994 || ''Getting By'' || Sid Smollen || Episode: "Sell It Like It Is" |- | 1994–1995 || ''Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills'' || Lechner || Voice, 26 episodes<ref name="btva" /> |- | 1994–1996 || ''Saturday Night Live'' || Squiggy || rowspan=2|2 episodes |- | rowspan=3|1995 || ''Family Matters'' || Oliver |- | ''Dream On'' || The Other Norman Mailer || Episode: "Significant Author" |- | ''The Nanny'' || The Landlord || Episode: "Val's Apartment" |- | rowspan=4|1996 || ''Homeboys in Outer Space'' || Inspector 17 || Episode: "House Party or, Play That Funky White Music Droid" |- | ''The Tick'' || Filth #4 || Voice, episode: "The Tick vs. Filth"<ref name="btva" /> |- | ''Superman: The Animated Series'' || Sqweek || Voice, episode: "The Main Man"<ref name="btva" /> |- | ''Hey Arnold!'' || Sewer King || Voice, episode: "The Sewer King"<ref name="btva" /> |- | 1996–1997 || ''Pacific Blue'' || Elvis Kryzcewski || 14 episodes |- | 1996–1998 || ''Jungle Cubs'' || Arthur || Voice, 20 episodes |- | rowspan=5|1997 || ''L.A. Heat'' || Cecil Rusk || Episode: "In Transit" |- | ''Nash Bridges'' || Norman Guilfoyle || Episode: "Gun Play" |- | ''Johnny Bravo''|| Christopher || Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva" /> |- | ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' || Himself || Episode: "Boobookitty" |- | ''The Weird Al Show'' || Miner || Episode: "Mining Accident" |- | rowspan=2|1997–98 || ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' || Dr. Martin 'Marty' Guthrie || 12 episodes |- | ''101 Dalmatians: The Series'' || Horace Badun || Voice, 28 episodes |- | 1998 || ''Diagnosis: Murder'' || Willie Andrews || Episode: "Food Fight" |- | rowspan=4|1999 || ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' || Postmaster || Episode: "Sabrina, the Teenage Writer" |- | ''Mad About You'' || Announcer #1 || Episode: "Separate Beds" |- | ''Arliss'' || Wrestling Promoter || Episode: "To Thine Own Self Be True" |- | ''Recess'' || Leonard Weems || Voice, 2 episodes |- | 2000 || ''100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd'' || Caesar || Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva" /> |- | 2001 || ''Black Scorpion'' || Eugene Gardner/Greenthumb || Episode: "Roses Are Red, You're Dead" |- | 2001–2003 || ''Oswald'' || Henry || Voice, 22 episodes<ref name="btva" /> |- | 2002 || ''The Simpsons'' || Squiggy || Voice, episode: "Helter Shelter" |- | 2004 || ''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy'' || Brain || Voice, episode: "The Nerve" |- | 2005 || ''Hopeless Pictures'' || Les || Voice |- | 2007 || ''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy'' || Curtis || Voice, episode: "Wrath of the Spider Queen"<ref name="btva" /> |- | 2009 || ''Raising the Bar'' || Jury Foreman || Episode: "I'll Be Down to Get You in a Taxi, Honey" |- | 2009–2016 || ''The Garfield Show'' || Doc Boy Arbuckle || |- | 2011 || ''The Problem Solverz'' || Glam-Vampire Member || Ep: Glam-Vampire Hunterz |- | 2015 || ''Break a Hip'' || Charlie ||6 episodes |- | 2016 || ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' || Donnie the Shark || Voice, episode: "Sharks vs. Pods"<ref name="btva" /> |- | 2017 || ''Goldie & Bear'' || Rumpelstiltskin || Voice, episode: "Gnome Family Reunion/Adorable Norm" (final role) |}

===Video game credits=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role |- |1996 |''Down in the Dumps'' |Mr. Blub, Old Louse<ref name="btva" /> |- | rowspan="2" |1997 || ''Lego Island'' || The Brickster, Shark, Gideon Worse<ref name="btva" /> |- || ''Zork: Grand Inquisitor'' || Voice of the Inquisition, Bickering Torch |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|5581}} * [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r130060|pure_url=yes}} Lenny and the Squigtones at allmusic] * {{Discogs artist|David L. Lander}} * [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219425345/david-l.-lander David Lander] at Find a Grave

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lander, David}} Category:1947 births Category:2020 deaths Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American comedians Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American male comedians Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Category:Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni Category:Comedians from Brooklyn Category:Deaths from multiple sclerosis Category:People with multiple sclerosis Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:Jewish American male actors Category:Male actors from Brooklyn Category:Neurological disease deaths in California Category:New York University alumni Category:Writers from Brooklyn