Paul Michael Glaser Bio
Paul Michael Glaser (born Paul Manfred Glaser; March 25, 1943) is an American actor, director and writer whose career has spanned five decades. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Detective Dave Starsky in the 1970s television series Starsky & Hutch and later expanded his work behind the camera, directing television episodes and feature films while also pursuing visual art. His career began in the mid-1960s and has included recurring television roles, feature films and gallery exhibitions.
Early Life and Background
Paul Manfred Glaser was born on March 25, 1943, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the youngest child and only son of Dorothy and Samuel Glaser. He was raised in the Boston area, spending childhood years in Brookline and Newton in a Jewish household that observed major holidays and marked his bar mitzvah. His father, Samuel Glaser, trained as an architect and was connected to the region’s professional community.
Glaser completed secondary education after attending Buckingham Browne & Nichols and the Cambridge School of Weston. He matriculated at Tulane University, where he majored in theater and English with a minor in architecture and graduated in 1966. He went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in acting and directing from Boston University in 1967, establishing formal training that shaped both his acting and directing work.
Path to Celebrity
Glaser’s entry into screen acting began in the 1960s with television work that led to steady guest appearances on dramatic series. Early stage and screen roles allowed him to build a résumé that combined classical training with on-camera experience. His early film work included a notable appearance in the 1971 film adaptation of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, in which he played the role of Perchik, signaling a transition from supporting parts to higher-profile projects.
By the mid-1970s Glaser moved into mainstream network television, where his casting as Detective Dave Starsky became the defining role of the decade. His visibility on a prime-time series and his involvement in writing and directing episodes for the show established him as both a performer and a creative collaborator, and set the stage for a career that alternated between acting and directing.
Paul Michael Glaser Career
Early Career (1966–1974)
Glaser’s professional career began in 1966 following his graduation from Tulane University and Boston University. He worked steadily in television through the late 1960s and early 1970s with guest roles on series that built his screen presence and honed his craft. In 1971 he made a notable film debut as Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof, a high-profile adaptation of the stage musical that broadened his exposure to film audiences.
Throughout this period Glaser combined stage and screen work and developed an interest in directing and writing that would inform his later career choices. His training in acting and directing at Boston University provided a foundation for taking on responsibilities behind the camera as opportunities arose in television production.
Breakthrough (1975–1992)
Glaser’s breakthrough came with the ABC television series Starsky & Hutch, which premiered in 1975. He starred as Detective Dave Starsky opposite David Soul and became widely identified with the role; the show ran for four seasons and earned a lasting place in 1970s popular culture. Glaser also wrote and directed episodes for the series, demonstrating an early shift into creative leadership while maintaining a high-profile acting presence.
After Starsky & Hutch, Glaser continued to work in television and film and increasingly directed projects for both media. He moved into feature directing with films including The Running Man in 1987, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and The Cutting Edge in 1992, a sports-romance film that became a widely recognized title. He also directed the children’s feature Kazaam and episodic television for series such as Miami Vice, Robbery Homicide Division, Judging Amy and Las Vegas, blending genre work with mainstream commercial projects.
Notable Works and Milestones
Across his career Glaser is best known for Starsky & Hutch and his turn in Fiddler on the Roof, and for directing The Running Man and The Cutting Edge. He returned to acting in notable film and television appearances, including a supporting role in Something’s Gotta Give in 2003, a stint on the NBC drama Third Watch from 2004 to 2005, and recurring appearances as Alan on Ray Donovan between 2013 and 2019. He made a brief cameo in the 2004 theatrical Starsky & Hutch film adaptation.
Beyond screen work, Glaser developed a parallel career as a visual artist. In April 2018 he mounted his first American solo exhibition of paintings and digital illustrations in Hollywood, presenting a public phase of creative output he described as a third act following his acting and directing careers.
Paul Michael Glaser Family
Paul Michael Glaser is the son of Dorothy and Samuel Glaser. He has three children: Ariel Glaser, Jake Glaser and Zoe Glaser. His family life has been publicly noted in connection with his first marriage and the medical and personal challenges that followed for his first wife and children.
Personal Life
Glaser married Elizabeth Glaser in 1980. In August 1981 Elizabeth contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during childbirth; the infection was not identified until several years later, and both Elizabeth and the couple’s children Ariel and Jake were found to be HIV positive. Their daughter Ariel died at age seven. Elizabeth Glaser died in December 1994. Those events prompted sustained public attention and advocacy around pediatric AIDS.
After Elizabeth’s death Glaser married Tracy Barone, who later adopted Jake; the couple also had a daughter, Zoe. Glaser filed for divorce from Tracy Barone in 2007. As of public accounts in the 2010s his son Jake remained healthy and maintained family relationships, and Glaser continued to work intermittently in film and television while developing his art practice.