David Leisure
{{Short description|American actor}}
{{Infobox person
| name = David Leisure
| image =
| image_caption = Leisure in 2009
| birth_name = David Russell Leisure
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|11|16|mf=y}}
| birth_place = San Diego, California, U.S.
| years_active = 1980–present
| occupation = Actor
| spouse = Patricia Bunch (1997–?)(divorced)
Kelly Hutchinson (1989–1994) (divorced)
Flora Kleinfeld (1975–1983) (divorced)
| children = 2
}}
David Russell Leisure (born November 16, 1950){{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/david-leisure-p41713|title=David Leisure|work=AllMovie|accessdate=2020-02-03}} is an American actor. He played Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/david-leisure-a-k-a-joe-isuzu-finds-that-the-road-to-success-is-paved-with-lies-lies-lies-vol-26-no-19/|title=David Leisure—a.k.a. Joe Isuzu—Finds That the Road to Success Is Paved with Lies, Lies, Lies!|last=Wolmuth|first=Roger|work=People|date=1986-11-10|accessdate=2020-02-03}}{{Cite web|title=American Isuzu Fires Ad Agency That Created Joe Isuzu Character|url=https://apnews.com/03995b76221d1dad9367d8f84e8caffe|access-date=2020-09-19|website=AP NEWS}}
Early life
Leisure was born{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-08-13-9408130131-story.html|title= WITH 'EMPTY NEST,' DAVID LEISURE STARTS TO LEAVE JOE ISUZU BEHIND |last=Elias|first=Thomas D.|work=Chicago Tribune|date=1994-08-13|accessdate=2020-02-03}} and raised{{Cite web |last=By |date=March 10, 1991 |orig-date=March 10, 1991 |title=DAVID LEISURE |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1991/03/10/david-leisure/ |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Sun Sentinel |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Glisson |first=Tracy L. |date=August 3, 1991 |orig-date=August 3, 1991 |title=Role over, already! |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1991/08/03/role-over-already/ |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}} in San Diego. He attended San Diego State University.
Career
Leisure moved to Los Angeles after graduating. His first acting job was a minor role in Airplane! (1980) as a Hare Krishna. He had been roommates with the star, Robert Hays, in college, but attributed his casting to his willingness to shave his head.{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/surely-you-can-t-be-serious-an-oral-history-of-airplan-1798279218|title=Surely you can't be serious: An oral history of Airplane!|last=Harris|first=Will|work=The A.V. Club|date=2015-04-07|access-date=2020-02-03}} He was not cast in any more roles for the next several years; this, combined with his first divorce in 1983, led to a brief period of homelessness during which he lived in a Volkswagen van. He eventually found work as a commercial pitchman, including a series of commercials for Bell Atlantic. Della Femina Travisano & Partners cast him as Joe Isuzu because they believe he could "lie like a pro". The character made over-the-top claims and obvious lies about Isuzu cars in a series of commercials throughout the 1980s. The character's popularity led to a costarring role as Charley Dietz on the television series Empty Nest. His Joe Isuzu character was brought back in 1999 and continued through 2001.{{cite news|url=https://www.pressreader.com/usa/usa-today-international-edition/20090210/281805689824205|title=David Leisure|work=USA Today|date=2009-02-10|accessdate=2020-02-03|via=PressReader}}{{Cite news|last=Krebs|first=Michelle|date=2001-07-01|title=BEHIND THE WHEEL/Isuzu Axiom; Joe Isuzu Is Back, and He Has a New Sport Utility to Sell|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/01/automobiles/behind-wheel-isuzu-axiom-joe-isuzu-back-he-has-new-sport-utility-sell.html|access-date=2020-05-01|issn=0362-4331}} Other roles include Roger Wilkes on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless and, as of July 2010, a recurring role as Salem District Attorney Charles Woods on Days of Our Lives.{{cite news|url=https://blog.sfgate.com/abraham/2010/03/11/days-of-our-lives-david-leisure-talks-about-fame-after-the-oscars/|title=Days of Our Lives David Leisure talks about fame – after The Oscars|last=Abraham|first=Zennie|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=2010-03-11|accessdate=2020-02-03}}
=Roles=
His additional credits include Sabrina the Teenage Witch, One on One, V.I.P., Diagnosis: Murder, The Parent 'Hood, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, For Your Love, Caroline in the City, The Wayans Bros., Touched by an Angel, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Renegade, The Golden Girls, Married... with Children, ALF, 227, T. J. Hooker, The Equalizer, Falcon Crest, Sledge Hammer!, Nurses, The Brady Bunch Movie, and Power Rangers Wild Force.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
!Title !Role !Notes |
|---|
| 1980
| First Krishna | |
| 1982
| Religious Zealot | |
| 1986
| Say Yes | Police Sergeant | |
| 1988
| Peter Newcomb | |
| 1995
| Jason | |
| 1997
| Nowhere | Egg and Ducky's Dad | |
| 1997
| Troy | |
| 1999
| Fallout | Colegrove | |
| 1999
| Dogmatic | Pal Acres | |
| 1999
| Mr. Chapin | |
| 2000
| District Attorney | |
| 2000
| Behind the Seams | Milos Breneschov | |
| 2001
| Downward Angel | Charles | |
| 2004
| Hole-in-the-Head Elvis | |
| 2005
| Welcome to September | Elliott Faydo | |
| 2009
| Metus (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2013
| Dancing on a Dry Salt Lake | Benny | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
!Title !Role !Notes |
|---|
| 1982
| Crisis Counselor | | Episode: "Child Prefers Uncle" |
| 1982
| Policeman | Television movie |
| 1983
| Waiter | Episode: "The Betrayal" |
| 1986
| Man in Restaurant | Uncredited |
| 1986
| Officer Jackson | Episode: "Magnum Farce" |
| 1986
| Ben Fairly | Episode: "Shootout" |
| 1987
| If It's Tuesday, It Still Must Be Belgium | Andrew Selsky | Television movie |
| 1987
| Guard Chester | Episode: "Hammer Hits the Rock" |
| 1987
| ALF | Nick "Nicky" (The Fish) Mintz/Brandon Tartikoff | Episodes: "The Gambler" and "Prime Time" |
| 1987
| Oliver |Episode: "Empty Nests" |
| 1988
| Bink Winkleman | Episode: "Just Married... With Children" |
| 1988–1995
| Charley Dietz | Main cast |
| 1991
| Mr. Teddy Wolfe (voice) | Episode: "What 'Sexual Harris' Meant" |
| 1992
|The Golden Girls |Charley Dietz |Episode: "Questions and Answers" |
| 1994
| Stan "Stormy" Gilliss | Episode: "Who Killed the Anchorman?" |
| 1995
| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Spencer Spencer | Episode: "Ordinary People" |
| 1995
| | Episode: "Money Grubbers" |
| 1996
| Renegade | Derek Devlin / Mr. Success | Episode: "Mr. Success" |
| 1997
| Sergeant Gene Fagan (voice) | Episode: "The Big Pencil/Sani-Paper" |
| 1997
| Mr. Masada | Episode: "Stand Up Guy" |
| 1999
| Recess | Guy McMahon (voice) | Episode: "The Beauty Contest" |
| 1999
| Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show | Trace Cagney | Episode: "Honey, It's the Ghostest with the Mostest" |
| 1999
| Lenny | Episode: "The Roast" |
| 1999
| Sal (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2002
| Will 2 Wynn (voice) | Episode: "The Will of the People!" |
| 2002–2010
| Reverend Grace | 3 episodes |
| 2003
|Purser/Bob Bermuda | Episode: "What a Witch Wants" |
| 2009
| Roger Wilkes | 21 episodes |
| 2020
| Captain Roger | Episode: "Airplane!" |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0500601|name=David Leisure}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leisure, David}}
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male soap opera actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:Male actors from San Diego