After David Letterman retires from late night , perhaps he ’ll spend his free time fish and becharm up on all the novel he ’s been mean to translate . Or maybe , just maybe , he ’ll resurrect his acting career . Though Letterman has always favor to appear as himself onscreen , over the years he has taken a handful of acting roles . As we near hisLate Showfarewell , let ’s bet back at a few times when , for better or uncollectible , Dave was n’t himself .
1.MARY(1978)
Back when everybody and her first cousin had a telly miscellanea show , Mary Tyler Moore got into the game — and Letterman was hired to play one of her featured musician . In this time , Dave seems to be laughing his way through a sleazy musical issue alongside now - famous casting mate Michael Keaton and Swoosie Kurtz . Despite the talented roster , CBS axed the programme after three episode .
2.PEEPING TIMES(1978)
This boob tube special still hold up , for the most part because of contribution from Letterman , Mel Brooks , Barry Levinson , and Christopher Guest . Intended as a irony of newsmagazine political platform , Peeping Timesfeatures Letterman as a vagabondage newsman out to get the scoop on Bigfoot , illegal extraterrestrial being , and other hot topics .
3.MORK & MINDY(1979)
Years before I on the Q.T. watchedLate Nightwhile my parent were slumber , I got a coup d’oeil of Letterman on this sitcom as a skeevy , medallion - wearing motivational speaker . Last twelvemonth Letterman name the appearance duringhis moving tributeto Robin Williams on theLate Show :
4.OPEN ALL NIGHT(1981)
“ Let ’s say , for illustration , that you had host theTonight Show … ” Perhaps the most astounding affair about Letterman ’s appearance on this dead - lived situation comedy is the dialog is spoken a decade before the famousTonight Showdebacle with Jay Leno . ( In the tardy ‘ 70s and early ‘ 80s , Letterman often client - hosted Johnny Carson’sTonight Show . In this scene , he ’s mention to the cancellation of his pre - recent Nightdaytime talk show . )
5.THE BUILDING(1993)
raise by Letterman ’s production company , Worldwide Pants , The Buildingstarred Bonnie Hunt and only lasted a handful of episode . This scene features Letterman as a masked thief who blow his way through a porn - workshop robbery . ( Also in the scene is Ellen Albertini Dow , who died earlier this calendar month at age 101 . ) AfterThe Buildingended , Worldwide Pants produce another fomite for Hunt , who also invitee - hosted for Dave in 2003 when he was down with shake .
6.CABIN BOY(1994)
For his theatrical debut , Letterman opt this comedy from frequentLate Nightcontributor Chris Elliott . When he hosted the Academy Awards in 1995 , he even turned his tinyCabin Boyspot intoa lengthy resume , getting huge asterisk like Paul Newman , Tom Hanks , Madonna , Albert Brooks , Martin Short , Jack Lemmon , and Alec Baldwin to recite his most memorable line from the film : “ Would you like to bribe a scalawag ? ”
7.BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA(1996)
“ These guys are , always will be and can not be anything but idiots , ” Letterman enjoin of Beavis and Butt - Head in 1994 . “ And I incur that , for some reason , ceaselessly gratifying and fill to follow . ” In the MTV twosome ’s handsome - screen adventure , Letterman voices a former Motley Crue roadie who — mollycoddler alert — turns out to be Butt - Head ’s father . It was actually the second collaboration for the trio ; in 1994 theyappeared togetherduring the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards .
8.SPIN CITY(1998)
“ defeat me , ” begs Letterman ’s character to a sottish Mike Flaherty , play by Michael J. Fox . If Dave were n’t voicing a suicidal dog named Rags , the tantrum might ’ve been somewhat poignant . Fox and Letterman go right smart back , of course ; on the actor ’s finalLate Showappearance last month , they chuckledover Fox ’s 1985Late Nightdebut .
