Bill Kirchenbauer
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Born Name:
William Alfred Kirchenbauer
Born Date: February 19, 1953
Born Place: Salzburg, Austria
Died Date:
Died Place:
Occupations: Actor, comedian, comedy writer
Brief Biography: Bill Kirchenbauer is best known for his iconic television roles, particularly Coach Graham T. Lubbock on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains and its hit spin-off Just the Ten of Us.
Early Life and Stand-Up Career:
Born William Alfred Kirchenbauer in Salzburg, Austria, on February 19, 1953, he is the son of a U.S. Army serviceman and Hester Elaine Andrews. Because of his father's military career, Kirchenbauer grew up in various locations, picking up a diverse set of life experiences. Before breaking into television, he developed a wide range of performance skills, studying mime, ventriloquism, and improvisation. In 1978, he won the first Stand Up Comedy Competition in Los Angeles, launching a highly successful stand-up career that eventually led to more than a dozen appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Television Breakthrough:
Kirchenbauer became a recognizable face in 1970s and 1980s television. Early television breaks included appearances as lounge singer Tony Roletti on the satirical talk show Fernwood 2 Night (and America 2Night), and as the geeky, arrogant womanizer Todd "TNT" Taylor on Mork & Mindy.
Growing Pains & Just the Ten of Us:
His most defining acting role came in the mid-1980s when he joined the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains as Coach Graham T. Lubbock. His character was a massive hit with viewers, and ABC executives ultimately decided to spin the character off into his own show. The result was Just the Ten of Us (1987–1990), which starred Kirchenbauer as the patriarch of a large Catholic family who moves to California to teach at an all-girls school. Later in the 1990s, he reprised a variation of this iconic sports coach archetype as "Coach Bullock" on the television version of Clueless.
Later Career:
Kirchenbauer has remained a prolific presence in entertainment, continuing to act, write, and perform live. Over the decades, he has made guest appearances on sitcoms like Frasier and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He has also been highly active on the corporate comedy and cruise ship circuits. Additionally, Kirchenbauer is known for producing the Ultimate Robin Williams Tribute Experience. He also co-created "The Diabetes Duo: Captain Glucose and Meter Boy," an animated project designed to entertain and educate the public about diabetes. He wrote and produced the documentary Taking Al Back Home, a comedic story of a final road trip with his father.
Born Date: February 19, 1953
Born Place: Salzburg, Austria
Died Date:
Died Place:
Occupations: Actor, comedian, comedy writer
Brief Biography: Bill Kirchenbauer is best known for his iconic television roles, particularly Coach Graham T. Lubbock on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains and its hit spin-off Just the Ten of Us.
Early Life and Stand-Up Career:
Born William Alfred Kirchenbauer in Salzburg, Austria, on February 19, 1953, he is the son of a U.S. Army serviceman and Hester Elaine Andrews. Because of his father's military career, Kirchenbauer grew up in various locations, picking up a diverse set of life experiences. Before breaking into television, he developed a wide range of performance skills, studying mime, ventriloquism, and improvisation. In 1978, he won the first Stand Up Comedy Competition in Los Angeles, launching a highly successful stand-up career that eventually led to more than a dozen appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Television Breakthrough:
Kirchenbauer became a recognizable face in 1970s and 1980s television. Early television breaks included appearances as lounge singer Tony Roletti on the satirical talk show Fernwood 2 Night (and America 2Night), and as the geeky, arrogant womanizer Todd "TNT" Taylor on Mork & Mindy.
Growing Pains & Just the Ten of Us:
His most defining acting role came in the mid-1980s when he joined the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains as Coach Graham T. Lubbock. His character was a massive hit with viewers, and ABC executives ultimately decided to spin the character off into his own show. The result was Just the Ten of Us (1987–1990), which starred Kirchenbauer as the patriarch of a large Catholic family who moves to California to teach at an all-girls school. Later in the 1990s, he reprised a variation of this iconic sports coach archetype as "Coach Bullock" on the television version of Clueless.
Later Career:
Kirchenbauer has remained a prolific presence in entertainment, continuing to act, write, and perform live. Over the decades, he has made guest appearances on sitcoms like Frasier and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He has also been highly active on the corporate comedy and cruise ship circuits. Additionally, Kirchenbauer is known for producing the Ultimate Robin Williams Tribute Experience. He also co-created "The Diabetes Duo: Captain Glucose and Meter Boy," an animated project designed to entertain and educate the public about diabetes. He wrote and produced the documentary Taking Al Back Home, a comedic story of a final road trip with his father.