Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, as Dr. Alan Feinstone in The Dentist, as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych, and as Roger Dorn in the films Major League, Major League II, and Major League: Back to the Minors.
Corbin Bernsen

Paula R. Lively from Zanesville · Wizard World Cleveland,Ohio 2-2016 · CC BY 2.0
- Full name
- Corbin Dean Bernsen.
- Born
- 1954. · North Hollywood.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- actor, film director, screenwriter, writer, film producer and model.
- Fields
- film production.
- Education
- UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, University of California, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills High School.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, as Dr. Alan Feinstone in The Dentist, as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych, and as Roger Dorn in the films Major League, Major League II, and Major League: Back to the Minors.
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wikipedia incomplete · checked 25 September 2026
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Authority files
wikidata · Q737183 · wikipedia · Corbin Bernsen
In this article
Early life
Early life
He also appeared regularly on The Resident, The Curse, General Hospital, and Cuts, and has had intermittent appearances on The Young and the Restless.
Bernsen was born in North Hollywood, the eldest son of producer Harry Bernsen Jr. and soap actress Jeanne Cooper. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1972. Bernsen is also a "double Bruin", having received both a BA in Theatre Arts in 1977 and an MFA in Playwriting in 1979 from UCLA.
Acting
Acting
After a two-year appearance on the soap opera Ryan's Hope, Bernsen was cast as lawyer Arnold Becker on the Steven Bochco television series L.A. Law in 1986. The series became a hit, and the role earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, appearances on magazine covers, and guest-starring roles on Seinfeld and The Larry Sanders Show. He remained on L.A. Law for the entire run of the show, until it ended in 1994. He played the lead role in the two-season, NASA-themed series The Cape in 1996–97. Bernsen appeared with British actor Bruce Payne in the films Kounterfeit and Aurora: Operation Intercept. He starred as the title character, Dr. Alan Feinstone, in the horror film The Dentist and its sequel. Bernsen was also cast as prima donna third baseman Roger Dorn in the sports comedy Major League and appeared in both of the film's sequels. Bernsen portrayed John Durant on General Hospital from September 2004 until the character was murdered in May 2006. Bernsen played Jack Sherwood on Cuts, appeared twice on Celebrity Mole, and played a lawyer on Boston Legal. He appeared as another Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also had a recurring role as Captain Owen Sebring on the military drama JAG and played a Republican senator in two episodes of The West Wing. He directed, produced, and appeared in the horror film Dead Air. Bernsen also co-starred in USA's Psych, playing the role of Henry Spencer, the father of the main character, Shawn Spencer (James Roday). In the film Rust, Bernsen plays a former minister who returns to his hometown. Bernsen appeared in 25 Hill, a film he produced, directed and wrote, which is centered on the All-American Soap Box Derby, and at one time was planning a baseball movie about zombies, called Three Strikes, You're Dead. He also appeared as a guest star in one episode of Switched at Birth, the ABC Family television series. Bernsen currently appears as Kyle Nevin on the television series The Resident.
Producing
Producing
Bernsen was president and co-owner of Public Media Works, a new media company that develops entertainment for targeted fan bases. He directed and starred in Carpool Guy, the company's first film; it was targeted at soap opera fans and released on DVD in 2005. Bernsen then went on to form Team Cherokee Productions. According to the book One Red Paperclip, in June 2006, Bernsen traded a role in the film Donna on Demand to Kyle MacDonald for a snow globe of the band Kiss. It was this role that MacDonald eventually traded for a two-story farmhouse. In recent years, Bernsen focused on stories that explore aspects of Christian faith in today's world and how that can contribute to, but also tends to divide our common humanity. His first such film was Rust, released in 2010 by Sony Pictures. Bernsen, along with producing partner Chris Aronoff, formed Home Theater Films, an independent production company that develops, produces, and markets films and television shows. 25 Hill, the company's first title, was released in July 2012. This was followed by 3 Day Test (2012), Beyond the Heavens (2013), and Life with Dog (2017). Their film Mary 4 Mayor was due out in the fall of 2020.
Writing
Writing
In October 2015, the Pelican Book Group released Bernsen's debut novel. The book, Rust: the Novel, is an adaptation of Bernsen's 2010 feature film, Rust, in which he played the main character and served as writer and director. Bernsen and his wife, Amanda Pays, have co-authored two books, Change Houses, Not Spouses and Open House: Reinventing Space for Simple Living, a coffee table book featuring remodeling and design ideas they have learned from remodeling their own homes.
Personal life
Personal life
Bernsen was married to Brenda Cooper from 1983 to 1987. Bernsen has been married to British actress Amanda Pays since 1988. They have four sons: Oliver, Angus, Henry, and Finley. Pays and Bernsen moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York in 2019 where he now focuses on film and television projects that can be shot locally. Bernsen has one of the largest snow globe collections in the world, with over 8,000 globes. One notable globe in his collection is a Kiss motorized snow globe, for which Kyle MacDonald traded him in exchange for a speaking role in the film Donna on Demand. This was part of the famous "One Red Paperclip" series of trades, whereby MacDonald started with a red paperclip and ended with a farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan.

Corbin Bernsen on the red carpet at the 39th Annual Emmy Awards 9/20/87 -
Alan Light · photo by Alan Light · 728

Actor Cirbin Bernsen – Comic-Con 2009 - "Psych" Panel - San Diego - July 23, 2009.
Kristin Dos Santos · Flickr
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Biography from a USA Network website for Psych
- 2.Harry Bernsen Jr. dies at 82. Variety. June 4, 2008.
- 3.Herbert, Steven. Extended Family: For Beverly Hills High's Alumni Assn., Graduates Are Gone But Never Forgotten. Los Angeles Times. April 30, 1992. 0458-3035.
- 4.Movies.msn.com. MSN Bio. September 7, 1954.
- 5.UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Notable Alumni Actors.
- 6.O'Connor, John J. TV Review; 'L.A. Law' Series To Begin On NBC. The New York Times. September 15, 1986.
- 7.Corbin Bernsen. Golden Globes.
- 8.L.A. Law. Television Academy.
- 9.Davis, Francis. Recognition Humor. The Atlantic. December 1992.
- 10.Kounterfeit (1996) – Overview. Turner Classic Movies.
- 11.Aurora: Operation Intercept (1994) – Overview. Turner Classic Movies.
- 12.The Dentist. TV Guide.
- 13.The Dentist II. TV Guide.
- 14.Gingold, Michael. Corbin Bernsen planning zombie baseball movie. Fangoria. October 27, 2009.
- 15.Switched at Birth. TV Guide.
- 16.Conrad and Nic's 'Sexy Thanksgiving' Gets Rudely Interrupted in This The Resident Sneak Peek. TV Guide. November 22, 2019.
- 17.Public Media Works Summary. OTC Bulletin Board.
- 18.Stacy, Tom. Everybody Into the Pool. Soap Opera Digest. March 30, 2005.
- 19.Podcast featuring in its second-half an interview with Bernsen (in MP3 format) by a "new marketing" podcaster
- 20.Exclusive: Corbin Bernsen Discusses Rust. MovieWeb. October 7, 2010.
- 21.Rowland, Marijke. 'L.A. Law' actor Corbin Bernsen picks Turlock for his next film. The Modesto Bee.
- 22.25 Hill – The Movie. 25hill.com.
- 23.Busch, Anita. Corbin Bernsen Sheds Light On Faith-Based Films, Pacts With Pat Robertson's Regent University On Movie. Deadline Hollywood. September 1, 2016.
- 24.Emmy Award Nominee, Corbin Bernsen to release debut novel based on his film.
- 25.Open House book about affordable stylish house renovations by Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen. Remodelista. July 9, 2018.
- 26.Corbin Bernsen. NNDB.
- 27.Kilday, Gregg. Networking Class Hero. Rolling Stone. June 4, 1987.
- 28.Young, Jacob. Corbin and Amanda Make Their Love Merger Legal. People. 30. 23. December 5, 1985.
- 29.Ryan, Ruth. Corbin Bernsen, wife list renovated home. San Francisco Chronicle. May 16, 2004.
- 30.Gostin, Nicki. Corbin Bernsen Talks Religion, Fatherhood. Parentdish.com. October 21, 2010.
- 31.Hiltbrand, David. Bernsen is loving every role, as Mom advised. The Arizona Republic. July 18, 2008.
- 32.Aug 2013: Actor Corbin Bernsen talks snow globes. August 29, 2013.
- 33.Across the Sound (July 1, 2006)
- 34.N'Duka, Amanda. Corbin Bernsen To Star In Indie Thriller 'The Russian Bride'. Deadline Hollywood. February 22, 2017.
- 35.The Unseen Realm. IMDb.
- 36.Grobar, Matt. Patricia Heaton To Topline Psychological Horror-Thriller 'The Beldham'; Corbin Bernsen Among Others Set. Deadline Hollywood. February 22, 2023.
- 37.Dean, Sadie. INDIE SPOTLIGHT: Interview with Psychological Horror Film 'The Beldham' Writer-Director Angela Gulner. Script Magazine. October 2, 2024.
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