# Bernie Kopell

Bernard Morton Kopell (born June 21, 1933) is an American character actor known for his roles as Siegfried in Get Smart from 1966 to 1969 and as Dr. Adam Bricker ("Doc") on The Love Boat from 1977 to 1986.

## Early life

Kopell was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Jewish parents Pauline (née Taran) and Al Bernard Kopell Kopell attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn before enrolling at New York University, majoring in dramatic arts and graduating with a bachelor of fine arts in 1955.
While fulfilling his military service, he served as a librarian at Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia, and then between 1956 and 1957 on board the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61).
During his time on the USS Iowa, he travelled extensively to Europe in Italy, Spain, Greece, the Middle East in Turkey as well as to South America. He also taught the GED prep course to other military personnel. After completing active duty, Kopell returned to New York before going to Los Angeles with the promise of an agent by fellow graduate James Drury.

## Career

In Los Angeles, Kopell initially drove a taxi and tried to sell Kirby vacuum cleaners to make ends meet before being cast in a minor role in The Brighter Day, a daytime soap aired on CBS. From there, he moved on to star in My Favorite Martian and The Jack Benny Program impersonating Latino characters, eventually managing to branch out and do other accents.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Kopell appeared in many television series, often sitcoms, including Ripcord, That Girl, The Jack Benny Program, Our Man Higgins, Green Acres, Ben Casey, The Flying Nun, Needles and Pins, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Sonny and Cher Show, Lancelot Link-Secret Chimp, Petticoat Junction, The Streets of San Francisco, Room 222, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched, and Kojak.
However, Kopell's longest-running role was as Dr. Adam Bricker on The Love Boat, an Aaron Spelling production. He remained on the series during its entire run, appearing in 250 episodes.

### Siegfried and other roles

Kopell made memorable recurring appearances as KAOS agent Siegfried in Get Smart, Alan-a-Dale in When Things Were Rotten, Jerry Bauman in That Girl and Louie Pallucci in The Doris Day Show. He played several characters on Bewitched, including the witches' apothecary and the hippie warlock Alonzo in the episode "The Warlock in the Gray Flannel Suit". He played Charlie Miller as a member of the cast of the situation comedy Needles and Pins, which ran for 14 episodes in the autumn of 1973. He portrayed a plastic surgeon who gave Ed Brown a facelift on Chico and the Man. Earlier in his career, he played a director in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Good-Bye George"). About this same time, he guest starred on the short-lived The New Phil Silvers Show.

### Doc on The Love Boat and other roles

Kopell's role as Doc on The Love Boat was parodied in a humorous appearance on Late Show with David Letterman in 1995. Two entries in that night's Top Ten List poked fun at The Love Boat, and at the Doc character specifically. The camera cut to Kopell, who was sitting in the audience, and he stormed out of the theater. A few moments later, he was shown having been re-seated in the mezzanine when the second parody was made at his expense, and again stood up, raised his fists and stormed out, playing along with the host. In a dream sequence of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Kopell made a parody cameo as an actor who played a ship's doctor so many times he offers to perform an operation for real, while in a 1994 episode of Saturday Night Live he appeared as Doc during a Love Boat-themed spoof of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the 1990s, Kopell traded on his Doc Bricker persona when he appeared in a commercial for an anti-snoring product named D-Snore, in which he noted that loud snoring "can even ruin a romantic cruise."
After The Love Boat, Kopell was so recognizable that he was not in roles often without a nod to his most famous role. He appears as a coroner in "Which Prue Is It Anyway", an episode of Charmed. Kopell appears in the Monk episode "Mr. Monk and the Critic", playing Mr. Gilson, the ill-fated restroom attendant, whom Monk referred to as the Michelangelo of lavatories. He guest starred in "Pinky", a 2009 episode of My Name Is Earl. He made a cameo as a patient in the Scrubs episode "My Friend the Doctor", as well as an episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
Beginning in August 2022, Kopell co-starred with Hal Linden in Two Jews Talking off-Broadway at the Theater at St Clement's. He played his final performance on October 16.
As of 2023, he still appears regularly in film and television productions despite his advanced age.

## Personal life

Kopell has been married three times, first to actress Celia Whitney, then actress Yolanda Veloz, before marrying Catrina Honadle in 1997. Kopell and Honadle have two children together, Adam (born 1998) and Josh (born 2003).

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1963 | The Man from the Diners' Club | Comet Messenger | Uncredited |
| 1963 | The Thrill of It All | Commercial Director | Uncredited |
| 1963 | The Wheeler Dealers | Fawning Art Fan | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Good Neighbor Sam | Richard Taragon | Uncredited |
| 1965 | The Loved One | Assistant to the Guru Brahmin | |
| 1966 | Death of a Salesman | Howard | |
| 1972 | Wild in the Sky | Penrat | |
| 1976 | The Love Boat | Dr. Adam Bricker | |
| 1976 | Flo's Place | Hoffman | |
| 1976 | Bound for Glory | Baker – Woody's Agent | Uncredited |
| 1977 | The Love Boat II | Dr. O'Neill | |
| 1978 | A Guide for the Married Woman | Bill | |
| 1985 | Half Nelson | | Pilot episode |
| 1986 | Combat High | Mr. Mendelsson | |
| 1989 | Get Smart, Again | Conrad Siegfried Professor Helmut Schmelding | |
| 1989 | The Magic Boy's Easter | Mordechai the Magician | Video short |
| 1990 | The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage | Doc | |
| 1992 | Missing Pieces | Dr. Gutman | |
| 1998 | Bug Buster | Gil Griffin | |
| 1998 | Sunset Beach: Shockwave | Captain James Nelson | |
| 1998 | Land of the Free | TV Host | |
| 1999 | Follow Your Heart | Anthony Mason | |
| 2002 | The Stoneman | Professor Milano | |
| 2003 | Dismembered | | |
| 2003 | A Light in the Forest | Artemis Schnell | |
| 2004 | Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls | Officer | Uncredited |
| 2005 | The Cutter | Issac Teller | |
| 2006 | The Creature of the Sunny Side Up Trailer Park | Percy Wells | |
| 2007 | Say It in Russian | Geezer 2 | |
| 2008 | Get Smart | Opel Driver | |
| 2010 | First Dog | Psychiatrist Juvenile Hall | |
| 2018 | The Last Sharknado: It's About Time | Charter Boat Captain | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1961 | Whispering Smith | Roulette Game Operator (as Bernard Kopell) | Episode: "Trademark" |
| 1962–1963 | The Jack Benny Program | Banker – Mr. Harris / Alberto Rinaldi | Episode: "The Story of the New Talent Show" |
| 1963 | Ripcord | Photographer | Episode "Picture of Terror" |
| 1963 | Our Man Higgins | Finnerty | Episode: "Half a Higgins" |
| 1963 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Director | Season 2 Episode 10: "Good-Bye, George" |
| 1963 | McHale's Navy | Colonel Pryor | Episode: "Is There a Doctor in the Hut?" |
| 1964 | The Lucy Show | Interne | Episode: "Lucy Plays Florence Nightingale" |
| 1964–1965 | My Favorite Martian | George / Senor Pepe Lopez / Morton Beanbecker | 3 episodes |
| 1964 | The New Phil Silvers Show | Stanislavsky | Episode: "Moonlight and Dozes" |
| 1964 | Petticoat Junction | Black Salmon | Episode: "The Umquaw Strip" |
| 1965 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Jerry Best | Episode: "The Movie Starlet" |
| 1965 | Valentine's Day | | Episode: "The Title Fight" |
| 1965 | Sally and Sam | Glen | TV pilot |
| 1965 | Ben Casey | Al Banner | Episode: "What to Her Is Plato?" |
| 1965–1966 | The Farmer's Daughter | Jim Bankes / Buster Cannon | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | Juan | Episode: "Remember the Alimony" |
| 1966 | Run, Buddy, Run | Albert Overstreet | Episode: "Steam Bath & Chicken Little" |
| 1966 | Get Smart | Siegfried | Recurring character; 1966–1969 |
| 1966 | That Girl | Jerry Bauman | Recurring character; 1966–1971 |
| 1966 | Green Acres | James Stuart | Episode: "You Ought to Be in Pictures" |
| 1966 | The Hero | Charlie | Episode: "I Have a Friend" |
| 1968 | The Flying Nun | Dr. G. Paredes | Episode: "The Return of Father Lundigan" |
| 1969–1972 | Bewitched | Apothecary / Alonzo / Baron von Fuchs / Dr. Rhinehouse / A.J. Sylvester / Dr. H. Chomsky | 9 episodes |
| 1969 | The Debbie Reynolds Show | Announcer | Episode: "In the Soup" |
| 1970 | Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp | Baron von Butcher / Creto / Wang Fu (various character voices) | 17 episodes |
| 1970–1972 | Room 222 | Franklin / Roger Duncan | 2 episodes |
| 1970–1971 | Love, American Style | Mr. Chaney / Harry Barker / Counselor | 3 episodes |
| 1970–1973 | The Doris Day Show | Louie Pallucci / Uncle August Von Kappelhoff / Major Laguinita (Doris' seatmate) | 8 episodes |
| 1971 | Night Gallery | Reed | Episode: "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes" |
| 1971 | Funny Face | Repairman | Episode: "The Repairman Cheateth" |
| 1971 | The Chicago Teddy Bears | Rudolpho Tarantino | Episode: "Annie Get Your Cue" |
| 1972 | Ironside | George Packer | Episode: "Unreasonable Facsimile" |
| 1972 | The Odd Couple | Professor Faraday | Episode: "Psychic, Shmychic" |
| 1972 | Me and the Chimp | Arbogast | Episode: "Mike's Burglar Alarm" |
| 1972 | Insight | Willie | Episode: "Graduation Day" |
| 1972 | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Officer Jack Jackson | Episode: "Sobriety Test" |
| 1972 | The Bob Newhart Show | Dr. Arnold | Episode: "I Want to Be Alone" |
| 1972 | The New Temperatures Rising Show | Harold Lefkowitz | Recurring character (to 1973) |
| 1973 | The Paul Lynde Show | Campbell | Episode: "Out of Bounds" |
| 1973 | Needles and Pins | Charlie Miller | Series regular |
| 1974 | The Streets of San Francisco | Arthur Ganz | Episode: "Mask of Death" |
| 1974 | McMillan & Wife | Bernini Mussolino | Episode: "Guilt by Association" |
| 1975 | Harry O | Charlie | Episode: "For the Love of Money" |
| 1975 | Kolchak: The Night Stalker | Doctor Gravanites | Episode: "The Trevi Collection" (as Bernard Kopell) |
| 1975 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Tony Kramer | Episode: "Ted Baxter's Famous Broadcasters' School" |
| 1975 | Hot L Baltimore | Travez | Episode: "Historic L Baltimore" |
| 1975 | The Ghost Busters | Dr. Frankenstein | Episode: "Dr. Whatsisname" |
| 1975 | The Streets of San Francisco | Dean Watson | Episode: "School of Fear" |
| 1975 | When Things Were Rotten | Alan-A-Dale | Main role |
| 1975 | Kojak | Sam Bernard | Episode: "Money Back Guarantee" |
| 1976 | Chico and the Man | Harry Stern | Episode: "The Face Job" |
| 1976 | Switch | Gaylord Henderson / Selig | 2 episodes |
| 1976 | The Six Million Dollar Man | Pete Martin | Episode: "Vulture of the Andes" |
| 1977 | Alice | Burt | Episode: "The Failure" |
| 1977 | Code R | Garrison | Episode: "The Drifter" |
| 1977–1987 | The Love Boat | Doctor Adam Bricker | Main role |
| 1978 | Fantasy Island | Fred Stouton | Episode: "Trouble, My Lovely/The Common Man" |
| 1978 | Flying High | Morgan | Episode: "The Beautiful People" |
| 1978 | Greatest Heroes of the Bible | Potiphar | Episode: "Joseph in Egypt" |
| 1979 | $weepstake$ | Norman Townes | Episode 1.5 |
| 1979 | Supertrain | Dr. Marshall Fossberg | Episode: "Pirouette" |
| 1979 | Charlie's Angels | Doctor Adam Bricker | Episode: "Love Boat Angels" |
| 1981 | Hart to Hart | James Parquest | Episode: "Hartland Express" |
| 1983 | Fantasy Island | Carter Ransome | Episode: "The Devil Stick/Touch and Go" |
| 1984 | Legmen | Apple Dan Bonny | Episode: "The Return of Apple Dan Bonny" |
| 1987 | DuckTales | Voice work | Episode: "Spies in Their Eyes" |
| 1987 | The Charmings | Dr. Roland | Episode: "Lillian Loses Her Powers" |
| 1987 | Sledge Hammer! | Vincent Lagarski | Episode: "The Last of the Red Hot Vampires" |
| 1987 | ABC Afterschool Special | Tom | Episode: "The Day My Kid Went Punk" |
| 1987 | The New Mike Hammer | | Episode: "Elegy for a Tramp" (as Bernie Koppel) |
| 1991 | Civil Wars | | Episode: "A Long, Fat Frontal Presentation" |
| 1992 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Doc | Episode: "Ill Will" |
| 1994 | Saturday Night Live | Doc (uncredited) | Episode: "Patrick Stewart/Salt-N-Pepa" |
| 1995 | Get Smart | Siegfried | Episode: "Wurst Enemies" |
| 1997 | Diagnosis: Murder | Dr. Les Franklin | Episode: "Physician, Murder Thyself" |
| 1997 | Martin | Dr. Adam Bricker | Episode: "Goin' Overboard: Part 2" |
| 1997 | Boy Meets World | Himself | Episode: "Fraternity Row" |
| 1997 | Head over Heels | Himself | Episode: "Vice Guy" |
| 1998 | The Lionhearts | Voice work | Episode: "Leo's Diet" |
| 1998 | Love Boat: The Next Wave | Dr. Adam Bricker | Episode: "Reunion" |
| 1998 | Sunset Beach | Captain Nelson | 4 episodes |
| 1999 | Charmed | Coroner | Episode: "Which Prue Is It Anyway?" |
| 1999 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Dr. Beldon | Episode: "Beheading St. Valentine" |
| 2000 | As Told by Ginger | Mr. Libby (voice) | Episode: "Cry Wolf" |
| 2003 | Scrubs | Mr. Moran | Episode: "My Friend the Doctor" |
| 2006 | The Suite Life of Zack & Cody | Banker – Old Guy | Episode: "Not So Suite 16" |
| 2009 | My Name Is Earl | Lake Resort Manager | Episode: "Pinky" |
| 2009 | Monk | Gilson | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Critic" |
| 2012–2013 | See Dad Run | The Colonel / Colonel James Cunningham | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Arrested Development | Judge Kornzucker | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Hit the Floor | Mel O'Grane | Episode: "Keep Away" |
| 2013 | Raising Hope | Charles | Episode: "Ship Happens" |
| 2014 | The Comeback Kids | Jim | Episode: "Richie and Gary Re-Unite" |
| 2016 | Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything | Morty | Episode: "The Ringer" |
| 2017 | Hawaii Five-0 | Itzhak Rozen | Episode: "Ka pa'ani nui", "Big Game" |
| 2017 | Superstore | Arthur | Episode: "Valentine's Day" |
| 2019 | Better Things | Irwin | Episode: "Nesting" |
| 2019 | Mom | Ken | Episode: "Goat Yogurt and Ample Parking" |
| 2019 | Silicon Valley | Lex Skelton | 2 episodes |
| 2020–2021 | B Positive | Mr. Knudsen | 8 episodes |
| 2022 | The Lincoln Lawyer | Marvin Beedleman | Episode: "He Rides Again" |
| 2022 | Grey's Anatomy | Father Christopher | Episode: "Here Comes the Sun" |

### Writer

| Year | Title | Episodes | Notes |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Episode: "Winner Take Love/The Congressman Was Indiscreet/Isaac's History Lesson" | Segment: "Isaac's History Lesson" |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Episode: "Mike and Ike/The Witness/The Kissing Bandit" | Segments: "Mike and Ike" and "The Kissing Bandit" |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Episode: "The Captain's Cup/Folks from Home/Legal Eagle" | |
| 1979 | The Love Boat | Episode: "A Funny Valentine/The Wallflower/Home Is Not a Home" | |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Episode: "Bricker's Boy/Lotions of Love/The Hustlers" | |