Bronson Pinchot

Comedic actor Bronson Pinchot first turned heads as a snobby art gallery worker of uncertain nationality and dubious sexual orientation opposite Eddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984), before becoming a television staple as the lovable Balki on "Perfect Strangers" (ABC, 1986-1993). Prior to stardom, Pinchot's work in an off-Broadway show brought him to the attention of a casting agent on the Tom Cruise hit film "Risky Business" (1983). He followed his feature debut with a small, but scene-stealing turn in "Beverly Hills Cop" as the snarky, oddly-accented Serge. He developed a similar character - minus the attitude - with Balki, the bumpkin cousin from the fictional Mediterranean island of Mypos on the long-running sitcom "Perfect Strangers," alongside co-star Mark Linn-Baker. In the years that followed the end of his hit show, Pinchot made several unsuccessful attempts to land a new series, sporadically punctuated with supporting appearances in films such as "True Romance" (1993). Later, he would reemerge on the 2005 season of the reality show "The Surreal Life" (The WB, 2002-04/VH1, 2004-06), in which he showed himself to be far-removed from the sexually innocent Balki audiences had long associated him with. Nonetheless, Pinchot's earlier body of comedic work earned him enough good will with fans that he continued to be a welcome presence in his many TV, film, and stage appearances.