Peter Bonerz
Peter Roman Bonerz (born August 6, 1938) is an American actor and director.
Also recorded as Peter Baldwin Bonerz
Peter Bonerz
CBS Television · eBay item photo front photo back · Public domain
- Name
- Peter Bonerz
- Birth Name
- Peter Roman Bonerz
- Born
- 6 August 1938
- Birthplace
- Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.
- Education
- Marquette University
- Occupation
- * Actor
- Nationality
- United States
- Honours
- Directors Guild of America Award
- Languages
- English
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q3376470 · wikipedia · Peter Bonerz
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Peter Bonerz • Birth Name — Peter Roman Bonerz • Born — 6 August 1938 • Birthplace — Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S. • Education — Marquette University • Occupation — * Actor • director • Years Active — 1965–present • Children — 2
Early life
Early life
Bonerz was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Elfrieda (née Kern) and Christopher Bonerz. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette University High School. Here, performing with the Prep Players, he gained his first theatrical experience. At Marquette University, he participated in the Marquette University Players. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1960, he decided to seek a career in theater, starting in New York City in improv with a troupe called The Premise. After compulsory service as a draftee in the United States Army, he worked with an improv troupe in San Francisco known as The Committee, whose members included Rob Reiner, David Ogden Stiers, Howard Hesseman and Hamilton Camp.
Career
Career
Bonerz's first network television appearance was in 1965 on The Addams Family in the season-two episode "Morticia, The Writer". He had several more TV appearances in the late 1960s and also had roles in several films, including Funnyman (1967); What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969); Medium Cool (1969); Catch-22 (1970), which also included his future co-star Bob Newhart; Jennifer on My Mind (1971); and Fuzz (1972). In 1971, Bonerz was part of an ensemble cast in the short-lived improvisational television show Story Theatre, which also included Alan Alda and Valerie Harper. In 1972, he landed the popular supporting role of Dr. Jerry Robinson, the eccentric orthodontist on The Bob Newhart Show, whose most frequent comic foil was Marcia Wallace as Carol, the sharp-tongued receptionist. Bonerz would reprise this role in a cameo appearance in the final, unaired episode of Bob Newhart's third series, Bob. He also directed 29 episodes. The show ran for six seasons, with ratings among the top 20 in the first three seasons. Bonerz became the last surviving main cast member upon the death of Bob Newhart in 2024. • Illustration — (L to R): Bill Daily, Bob Newhart, Marcia Wallace, Suzanne Pleshette, and Bonerz in The Bob Newhart Show (1977) His later acting roles included the TV miniseries The Bastard (1978) and as a psychiatrist in the movie Serial (1980). In 1979, Bonerz appeared on Password Plus as a game show contestant/celebrity guest star with Marcia Wallace, his costar from The Bob Newhart Show. In 1986, Bonerz co-starred with Tuesday Weld and River Phoenix in the television movie Circle of Violence: A Family Drama. In 1999, he played Ed. Weinberger in the movie Man on the Moon. He voiced Sal in the Aaahh!!! Real Monsters episode "Internal Affairs". In 2014, he played Doug Demarco in the "Anniversaries" episode of Parks and Recreation. Beginning in 1974, Bonerz directed 29 episodes of The Bob Newhart Show. Between 1974 and 2011, he directed over 350 episodes of various shows, including series like Murphy Brown (93 episodes), Home Improvement (29 episodes), E/R (22 episodes), Friends (12 episodes), Joey (3 episodes), and many others such as Wings, NewsRadio, Archie Bunker's Place, and ALF. He also directed films such as Nobody's Perfekt (1981) and Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989).
Personal life
Personal life
Bonerz married Rosalind DiTrapani in 1963; together they have two sons, Eli and Eric.
As actor
As actor
• 1965: The Addams Family as Mr. Boswell • 1966: Summer Fun as "Chips" • 1967: Hey, Landlord as Proctor • 1967: Funnyman as Perry • 1968: That Girl as Larry Yorkin • 1968–1969: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour as Various Roles • 1969: Where It's At as Unknown Role • 1969: Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? as Mr. Bentley • 1969: Medium Cool as Gus • 1969: The Governor & J.J. as Hubbell • 1970: A Storm in Summer as Stanley • 1970: Catch-22 as MacWatt • 1970: Hawaii Five-O as Earl • 1971: U.S.A. as Unknown Role • 1971: Story Theatre as Unknown Role • 1971: McMillan and Wife as George Harvard (ep. “Death is a Seven Point Favorite”) • 1971: Jennifer of My Mind as Sergei Wasserman • 1972: Sanford and Son as Doctor • 1972–1978: The Bob Newhart Show as Dr. Jerry Robinson • 1986: Murder, She Wrote as Calhoun Fletcher (ep. “The Perfect Foil”)
As director
As director
• 1966: Summer Fun • 1974: The Mary Tyler Moore Show • 1974: Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers • 1974–1978: The Bob Newhart Show • 1975: When Things Were Rotten • 1976: Good Heavens • 1976: Father O Father (TV film) • 1976: The Tony Randall Show • 1977: Szysznyk • 1978: Apple Pie • 1979: McGurk: A Dog's Life • 1980: Love, Natalie • 1980: G.I.'s • 1981: Nobody's Perfekt • 1982: In Security • 1982: High Five (TV short) • 1983: Focus on Fishko (short) • 1983: Simeon Show • 1984: Back Together • 1984: Suzanne Pleshette Is Maggie Briggs • 1985: The Recovery Room • 1988: Sharing Richard • 1989: Police Academy 6: City Under Siege • 1989: Julie Brown: The Show (TV short) • 1993: The Elvira Show (TV short) • 1996–1999: Home Improvement • 2005–2006: Joey • 2005–2007: Living with Fran • 2006: Drive/II • 2011: $h*! My Dad Says
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the heading Peter Baldwin Bonerz. His recorded language was English.
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Peter Bonerz received Directors Guild of America Award.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Peter Bonerz, revision 1372227868 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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.Peter Bonerz. Television Academy Interviews. 2017-10-22.
- 2.Brown, Janice. Actor, Director, Comedian and Teacher: Peter Bonerz of Portsmouth New Hampshire (1938-Still Living). Cow Hampshire. 2019-04-30.
- 3.Peter Bonerz Biography (1938-). www.filmreference.com.
- 4.Peter Bonerz. Television Academy Interviews. 2017-10-22.
- 5.DVD commentary from The Addams Family - The Complete Series, Special Feature, "Guest Star Seance"
- 6.Newhart in the '90s: A Look at BOB. 11 March 2015.
- 7.Peter Bonerz Biography (1938-) - Film Reference
- 8.Peter Bonerz. Turner Classic Movies.
References
Citations
References
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Further particulars
Held on the record
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Peter Bonerz studied at Marquette University and Marquette University High School.
The recorded source classes are reference work. Every statement above restates one of those records; where they are silent, this article is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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