Bronson Pinchot, a talented actor, initially refused to do accents when auditioning for Broadway roles. However, years later, his impressive accent skills earned him his first break in film and led to television success as Balki Bartokomous, the eccentric cousin from a Mediterranean island, in the popular sitcom Perfect Strangers (1986).
Born in New York, Pinchot was raised in Pasadena and attended Yale University on a full scholarship, initially interested in art. Despite coming from a poor family, he was a class valedictorian. During his art studies, he began to pursue acting, and his breakthrough came when he was cast in an off-Broadway play shortly after his 1981 graduation.
Pinchot's early film roles included one of Joel's poker-playing friends in Risky Business (1983) and the following year, he appeared in The Flamingo Kid (1984). His memorable performance as Serge, an associate art dealer, in Beverly Hills Cop (1984) led to his iconic role as Balki, with his unique accent and eccentric style, in Perfect Strangers, which ran for seven seasons.
Despite his small screen success, Pinchot struggled to replicate his earlier successes in the big screen, with box office flops like Second Sight (1989) and Blame It on the Bellboy (1992). However, his roles in True Romance (1993) and Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) re-established his talent, followed by appearances in Courage Under Fire (1996) and The First Wives Club (1996) as Duarte Feliz, a flamboyant interior designer.
Television has continued to offer Pinchot opportunities, including a role in Stephen King's The Langoliers (1995) and a stint as the owner of a hair salon in the sitcom Step by Step (1991). In contrast to his often-manic and bizarre characters, Pinchot has proven to be witty and erudite on TV talk shows.
On Broadway, Pinchot made his debut in 1990 in the comedic play 'Zoya's Apartment' at the Circle in the Square theater. He later appeared with Carol Burnett and John Barrowman in Putting It Together (1999) and in the 2004 revival of 'Sly Fox' with Richard Dreyfuss and Eric Stoltz. Most recently, he appeared on the 5th season of The Surreal Life (2003).
