Heavy-set American character actor whose typical screen personae tended to be gruff westerners, irate cops and hard-boiled gangsters. A decorated Korean War veteran, Bieri appeared on stage from 1954, both on ('Death of a Salesman', 1975) and off-Broadway. He latterly acted with the ensemble of San Diego's Old Globe Theatre (notably, as the tough captain in 'Mr. Roberts', 1995). On screen from 1962 as a bit part player, he went on to have a prolific career as guest star of 1970's and 80's TV shows. Bieri also starred in his own, somewhat short-lived NBC sitcom, Joe's World (1979), as a Detroit house painter with five kids and assorted problems. In private life, he was said to have been a keen fisherman and sailor. Bieri died in May 2001 in Woodland Hills from cancer at the age of 71.
Movies
The Andromeda Strain Major Manchek
Badlands Cato
The Richest Cat in the World Oscar Kohlmeyer
Crossfire Captain McCardle
Sorcerer Corlette
A Christmas Without Snow Henry Quist
The Frisco Kid Mr. Jones
Reds Police Chief
Nicole Malcolm
Outrage Deputy Tottif
Brother John Orly Ball
It's Good to Be Alive Walter O'Malley
R.P.M. Brown
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story Babe Ruth
Sarge: The Badge or the Cross Chief Dewey
Lucas Tanner Craig Willeman
The Gun Walt Kelsy
The Honkers Jack Ferguson
Juarez Lt. C.P. Hardin
Grandview, U.S.A. Mr. Pearson
Oceans of Fire Chuck Horn
The Grasshopper Roosevelt Dekker
The Sicilian Quintana
Vibes Eli Diamond
The Conversation Man at Party (uncredited)
True Grit: A Further Adventure Sheriff Ambrose
The Zoo Gang Pa Donnely
Panic in Echo Park
When She Was Bad... Dr. Gilbert
A Matter of Life and Death Mr. Kutzreba
Carly's Web
The Final Days Judge John J. Sirica
Ghosts of Mississippi James Holley
Demon and the Mummy
The San Pedro Bums Sgt. Yost
Hunter Mishani
Shows
St. Elsewhere
Murder, She Wrote Pat Phillips
L.A. Law Vernon Weeks
Magnum, P.I.
CHiPs
Kung Fu
Simon & Simon
Hawaii Five-O Michael Briggs
The Twilight Zone
Knight Rider Al Farland
Quincy, M.E.
Route 66
Highway to Heaven
The Streets of San Francisco
Alias Smith and Jones
Room 222
How the West Was Won
Charlie's Angels Yanos Barzak
Mannix
Medical Center
Gunsmoke Forbes
Mission: Impossible Colonel Rodriguez
Jake and the Fatman
Cannon
The Amazing Spider-Man
Hunter Charlie Coster
Kolchak: The Night Stalker Captain Joe Baker
ER Mr. Bartok
Crazy like a Fox
Harry O
Bret Maverick Elijah Crow
Police Story
Daniel Boone Hanker
Switch Jack Gaynor
Lancer
Sarge Barney Verick
Search
Matt Houston
Cracker
Palmerstown, U.S.A.
The Manhunter
Blacke's Magic
Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected
Joe's World Joe Wabash
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
Bronk
The Magician Lt. Phil Corcoran
Love, Lies and Murder Howard
Hogan's Heroes Steiner
Nichols Cutler
Gunsmoke Jarvis
Gunsmoke John Sontag
Gunsmoke Doyle
Gunsmoke Musgrove
Nero Wolfe Leo Crown
Gunsmoke Big Thicket
Profiler Monte Drake
The Rhinemann Exchange Daniel Meehan
Knight Rider 'Acid' John Byrock
Ironside Frank Clausen
The Rockford Files Sheriff Homer Prouty
Mannix Peters
Murder, She Wrote Capt. Frank Browning
Banacek John Hargroves
The Fall Guy Mayor John P. Littlefield
Charlie's Angels Jake Garfield
McNaughton's Daughter Randall Jardine
Mission: Impossible Colonel Jaroslav Sardner
Barnaby Jones Lt. Hager
Starsky & Hutch Bo Rile
Murder, She Wrote Nick Zavakis
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Commissioner Bergstrom
St. Elsewhere Gene Galecki
Matt Houston Insp. Cory McFadden
