---
name: "Byrne Piven"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/byrne-piven"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "24 September 1929"
died: "18 February 2002"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 88
updated: "2026-09-16T21:18:16.444574+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Byrne Piven

Actor. Born 24 September 1929 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. Died 18 February 2002.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 24 September 1929, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA
- **Died:** 18 February 2002
- **Active:** 1993–1999

## Biography

Byrne Piven was an American actor and director. Born Bernard Piven in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he moved to Chicago in 1954 and co-founded the Playwrights Theatre Club with his wife Joyce, a forerunner of the Second City improv troupe. He taught and directed at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, Illinois, for three decades.

Piven appeared in numerous stage productions, earning a Joseph Jefferson Award for his role in *The Man in 605*. His film credits include *Being John Malkovich* (1999) as Captain Mertin, *Very Bad Things* (1998), *Miracle on 34th Street* (1994) and *Trojan War* (1997). Television roles encompassed episodes of *The X-Files*, *Frasier*, *Miami Vice*, *Magnum, P.I.* and *Early Edition*. He also featured in Uncle Ben's rice commercials during the 1970s.

He was the father of actors Jeremy Piven and director Shira Piven. Piven died in Evanston, Illinois, in 2002.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, latimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Being John Malkovich* (1999), Fi1m 89, as Captain Mertin — [page](https://film.one/film/being-john-malkovich.md)
- *Frasier* (1993), Fi1m 88, as Sigmund Freud — [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)

## Also known for

- *The A-Team* (1983), Bennie Conway
- *Quantum Leap* (1989), Captain Colton Cotter
- *Home Improvement* (1991), Rolf
- *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), Pasqual Valez
- *Early Edition* (1996), Rabbi Ginsburg
- *Trojan War* (1997), Mr. Crosby
- *Hunter* (1984), Lyle Shapiro
- *L.A. Law* (1986), Dr. Kenneth Cahill

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/byrne-piven