David Schramm

**David Schramm** is an American television and stage actor, possibly best known for playing the belligerant businessman Roy Biggins in the 80s TV series "Wings."

Schramm was born on August 14, 1946, in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of a bookie. Becoming interested in speaking and theater in high school, he performed in outdoor dramas in Kentucky and later worked as an apprentice actor at the playhouse that eventually became the Actors Theater of Louisville.

Schramm later took acting classes at Western Kentucky University, where he got a full scholarship to the Juilliard School which he attended from 1968 to 1972 and took classes. After graduating, he became a founding member of The Acting Company. He later starred as the titular character in an Off Broadway performance of "King Lear" as well as on Broadway opposite Judith Ivey in Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce." He also performed in Howard Sackler's "Goodbye Fidel" at the Ambassadors Theatre in 1980 and opposite Rebecca DeMornay in a production of "Born Yesterday" at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1988.

After performing in Ayckbourn's "A Chorus of Disapproval" at the South Coast Repertory in 1989, Schramm starred in the television movie, "The Time of Your Life" where he played cowboy hero Kit Carson and the miniseries, "Kennedy" in which he portrayed Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. His other TV appearances included roles on "Spencer For Hire," "The Equalizer," "Cheers," "Another World," "Wiseguy" and "Miami Vice." He also appeared in "The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story" with John Ritter, the father of actor Jason Ritter before starring opposite Sandra Bullock in the short-lived series "Working Girl," based on the 1988 film of the same name. However, he gained national recognition for portraying the blustery, cantankerous airline owner Roy Biggins, on the sitcom "Wings" which ran for over 125 episodes from 1990 to 1997.

After the show ended, Schramm returned to acting on stage both in theaters across the country and on Broadway. In 2003, he appeared in the New York Theatre Workshop's production of "The Beard of Avon," and in 2008, Schramm was part of the cast of the Berkshire Theatre Festival's production of George Bernard Shaw's "Candida." He also played Pozzo in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" at the same festival.

In 2008, Schramm portrayed the role of Richard Harkin in Conor McPherson's "The Seafarer at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The production was directed by Anders Cato, whom Schramm previously collaborated with in "Waiting for Godot" and "Candida." He also appeared in the revival of Finian's "Rainbow" at the St. James Theatre in New York City and a stage production of Reginald Rose's "Twelve Angry Men" at the George Street Playhouse in 2012, later going on to appear in William Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" in his first time at The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.

On October 2014, Schramm played the role of Tony in the George Street Playhouse's production of John Patrick Shanley's "Outside Mullingar." However, in June 2015, it was reported that Schramm was suffering from vocal problems and under doctor's orders, he had to withdraw from performing in the Barrington Stage Company's production of Richard Strand's "Butler."
Today, Schramm resides in New York and has homes in Chatham and Riverdale.