Born: May 20, 1959
Age: 65
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Bronson Alcott Pinchot (born May 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Balki Bartokomous in the ABC sitcom, Perfect Strangers (1986-93).
He also starred in films, such as Risky Business (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), True Romance (1993), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), It's My Party (1996), Courage Under Fire (1996) and The First Wives Club (1996), as well as on television series, such as The Prankster in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. In 2012, he starred in his own reality series, The Bronson Pinchot Project on the DIY Network.
In 2014, Pinchot worked extensively as an audiobook narrator with over 100 recordings. AudioFile magazine recognized him as Best Voice in Fiction & Classics for his 2010 renderings of Flannery O'Connor's Everything That Rises Must Converge (1965), Karl Marlantes's Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War (2009) and David Vann's Caribou Island (2011).
Pinchot was born in Manhattan. His mother, Rosina (née Asta) was an Italian American and a typist, and his father, Henry (originally Poncharavsky) was of Russian descent and a bookbinder, who was born in New York and raised in Paris. His younger brother, Justin is also an actor. He was raised in Southern California, where he graduated from South Pasadena High School at the top of his class and was appointed valedictorian. He earned a full scholarship to Yale University, where he was placed in Morse College and graduated magna cum laude. Pinchot began his Yale career in fine art, but after he was cast in a college play, a casting director discovered him, which resulted in his film debut, Risky Business.
In 1999, Pinchot spent a great deal of time in Harford, Pennsylvania, restoring the circa 1839 mansion of former Pennsylvania state Senator Edward Jones. He purchased six properties in the small, rural town of 1,300 "in an effort to revive the town's 19th-century aesthetic".
Pinchot appeared in several feature films, such as Risky Business, Beverly Hills Cop, The First Wives Club, True Romance, Courage Under Fire and It's My Party. Fisher Stevens asked Pinchot to play Ben Jabituya in the 1986 film Short Circuit, but Pinchot was fired. He also played Dennis Kemper in the short-lived NBC sitcom Sara and Balki Bartokomous in the ABC sitcom, Perfect Strangers.
In 2008, Pinchot published his novel The Learners in audio editions, author Chip Kidd's followup to The Cheese Monkeys. He also voiced Max, the fully restored Black 1964 VW Beetle, in the 2009 Volkswagen "Das Auto" campaign. In 2009 and 2014, Pinchot narrated over 100 audiobooks, in which he won a number of awards. In 2010, Pinchot read the audio version of the novels Matterhorn and Blood Oath. For the Blackstone Audio collection Patricia Highsmith: Selected Novels and Short Stories, he provided a reading of several stories, including Highsmith's memorably creepy novel Strangers on a Train. He was chosen by Audible.com as their 2010 Narrator of the Year. On February 12, 2012, Pinchot starred in a home restoration show on DIY Network The Bronson Pinchot Project. The program is based on his hobby of restoring old homes using salvaged materials.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Risky Business | Barry | |
1984 | Beverly Hills Cop | Serge | |
1984 | The Flamingo Kid | Alfred Schultz | |
1985 | Hot Resort | Brad | |
1985 | After Hours | Lloyd | |
1989 | Second Sight | Bobby | |
1992 | Blame It on the Bellboy | Bellboy | |
1993 | True Romance | Elliot Blitzer | |
1993 | The Jungle Creature: Hugo | Hugo (voice) | English version |
1994 | Beverly Hills Cop III | Serge | |
1995 | Napoleon | Birdo (voice) | English version |
1996 | It's My Party | Monty Tipton | |
1996 | Courage Under Fire | Bruno | |
1996 | The First Wives Club | Duarto Feliz | |
1996 | Jungledyret 2 - den store filmhelt | Hugo (voice) | English version |
1997 | Babes in Toyland | Rodrigo (voice) | |
1998 | Slappy and the Stinkers | Roy | |
1998 | Quest for Camelot | Griffin (voice) | |
1998 | Beach Movie | Ronald | a.k.a. Boardheads |
1999 | Out of the Cold | Max Kaplan | |
1999 | The All-New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love or Mummy | Stanley | |
2002 | Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control | Devon Sharpe | |
2003 | Straight No Chaser | Josh Peters | Short |
2004 | Second Best | Doc Klingenstein | |
2005 | Diamond Zero | Bergerac De La Houssey | AKA: IceMaker |
2007 | The Wager | Colin Buchanan | |
2007 | Mr. Art Critic | M.J. Clayton | |
2008 | From a Place of Darkness | Carl | |
2008 | The Tale of Despereaux | Town Crier (voice) | |
2009 | Hooking Up | Mr. Kimbal (voice) | |
2009 | Good Clean Fun | Dean Vernon | |
2010 | Pure Country 2: The Gift | Joseph | |
2011 | You and I | Torrino | |
2012 | Virgin Alexander | Bim Norse | |
2013 | Kung-Fu and Titties | The Beaver | |
2015 | The Strike | Carlo Lombardi | |
2016 | Double Play | Bob | Filming |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Sara | Dennis Kenper | 13 episodes |
1985 | Amazing Stories | Director | Episode: ""Mummy Daddy" |
1986 | Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood | Charles Dickens | Television film |
1986 | Between Two Women | Photographer | Television film |
1986-93 | Perfect Strangers | Balki Bartokomous / Mama | 151 episodes |
1990 | ABC TGIF | Balki | |
1990 | The Great American Sex Scandal | Sanford Lagelfost / Jorge Jimenez / Arthur Lloyd / Magda | Television film |
1992 | Eek! the Cat | Additional voices | |
1993 | The Trouble with Larry | Larry Burton | 7 episodes |
1994/95 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Kyle Griffin / The Prankster | 2 episodes |
1995 | The Langoliers | Craig Toomey | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
1995 | Dumb and Dumber | Dymbster (voice) | 2 episodes |
1995 | The Adventures of Hyperman | Valerie Knockisblokov (voice) | Episode: "Cosmo Not/The Brain Game" |
1996 | High Society | Arthur Zipkin | Episode: "Nip and Tuck" |
1996 | Duckman | Dr. Henri Ducharme (voice) | Episode: "A Room with a Bellevue" |
1996 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Roy Albright | Episode: "Ab-dick-ted" |
1996 | Bruno the Kid | General Armando Castrato (voice) | 36 episodes |
1996 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | The Man / The Dog (voices) | Episode: "Work" |
1996 | Clueless | Mr. Pomormo / Ka-feen | 2 episodes |
1996 1997 |
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Dietrich Duchump Deitrich Dunlap (voices) |
"Amulet of Enfarg/Bad Hair Day" "The Lips Have It/Escape Claws" |
1997 | Meego | Meego | 13 episodes |
1997 | High Incident | Matt Shukat | Episode: "Show Me the Money" |
1997 | The Angry Beavers | Truman / Brat (voices) | Episode: "House Broken/Stinky Toe" |
1997 | I Am Weasel | Oscar / Guard / Old Wardrobe Man (voices) | Episode: "I Are Big Star" |
1997 | Step by Step | Jean-Luc Rieupeyroux / Black Bart | 24 episodes |
1997 | Merry Christmas, George Bailey | Mr. Carter | Television film |
1997 2000 |
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Sonny the Toad / Killer Whale / Reindeer (voices) | "Thumbelina" "The Snow Queen" |
1998 | Hey Arnold! | Ronnie Matthews / Director / Chauffeur (voices) | 2 episodes |
1999 | The Wild Thornberrys | Franz Fensterkopf (voice) | 2 episodes |
2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | Shakey / Science (voices) | Episode: "Haunted Moon" |
2002 | Breaking News | Phillip | Episode: "Spin Art |
2003 | All Grown Up! | Pepe (voice) | Episode: "Chuckie's in Love" |
2005 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Dr. Greg Ross | Episode: "Beast" |
2007 | Six Degrees | Thomas Johnson | Episode: "Ray's Back" |
2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Henry Carlisle | Episode: "Alternate" |
2008 | The Young and the Restless | Patrick Dalton | 6 episodes |
2010 | Hawaii Five-0 | Bastille | Episode: "Mana'o" |
2011 | The Problem Solverz | AI (voice) | Episode: "Videogamez" |
2011 | Shake It Up | Kashlack Hessenheffer | Episode: "Vatalihootsit It Up" |
2012-13 | The Bronson Pinchot Project | Himself (host) | 20 episodes |
2014 | NCIS | George Burton | Episode: "Parental Guidance Suggested" |
2015 | The Mysteries of Laura | Head Chef J.T. Thompson | Episode: "The Mystery of the Frozen Foodie |
2015 | Ray Donovan | Flip Brightman | 2 episodes |
Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Bruno the Kid: The Animated Movie | General Armando Costrato | |
2001 | Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure | Francois |
Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Perfect Strangers | Nominated |
1996 | National Board of Review | Best Cast | The First Wives Club | Won |