Roy Biggins recently graces Pitt with his presence
Roy Biggins recently graces Pitt with his presence
Pittsburgh residents got a little taste of Hollywood this week at the David L. Lawrence building in Oakland. That little taste was none other than the renowned actor David Shramm, popularly known as the character Roy Biggins from the hit TV sitcom "Wings." Shramm spoke in front of a capacity classroom crowd on the effects of fame and success and his vital role in the sitcom community.
University of Pittsburgh students were elated to hear of the huge star's presentation on their campus. Many enthusiastic responses included "Heyyy, it's THAT guy!" "Wow it's the guy from 'Cheers,'" and "Amazing, I thought he died." Shramm was more than happy to be here, and wasted no time in discussing his role as the sarcastic, bitter fat man that captured the hearts of millions of Americans each and every week.... and every weekday in syndication during the solid hour block of "Wings" at Noon on USA.
"I think when you look back on the major roles in the history of sitcom, Roy Biggins is in the top two or three," claimed Shramm during his presentation. "This character forever changed the way that sitcoms are written and set the stage for the primetime hits of today. I was very proud to be a part of that, and I think that a little bit of Roy Biggins will stay with me forever."
It wasn't all glitz and glamour according to Shramm. Fame has its downside and he claimed that it was during the peak of "Wings" success that he began to hit rock bottom.
"The media and paparazzi were all over me, I couldn't leave my house," explained Shramm emotionally. "It was during this time that I began to use drugs heavily. I was snorting coke 3 times a day and began fantasizing about Becky Schnull (the woman who played Faye on the show). I even began to lose weight. It was horrible."
Shramm went on to admit that he never actually lost weight, but he claimed it was "really really bad." Although Shramm enjoyed success predating "Wings," with roles in episodes of "Jake and the Fatman" (not as the fatman, surprisingly) and even "Miami Vice," it wasn't until after the end of the epic sitcom that Shramm fully tasted success.
"I really turned it around well. I landed a huge role as "Herb" in the blockbuster hit "Big Packages," explained Shramm, after most people left realizing that he wasn't,in fact, the guy from "Cheers." "My big break, however, was the role of Bellerophone in the Disney movie "Hercules." Now that's a role nobody will ever forget."
And this was a presentation that people won't ever forget. Whether he's ridiculing Helen's cooking, mocking Joey and Brian, or starring in some obscure role in movies that nobody has ever seen before, David Shramm will be a part of television history forever. Or until USA stops running the hour block of "Wings" every day.
GO PITT
--Scotka
