Jerry Paris

Jerry Paris (July 25, 1925 – March 31, 1986) was an American actor and television director best known for playing the recurring role of dentist Jerry Helper, the next-door neighbor to the Petrie family, on the CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966. Born William Gerald Paris in San Francisco, California, he began his career as an actor in the 1950s, appearing in notable films such as The Wild One (1954) with Marlon Brando and Marty (1955), the latter earning him recognition for his supporting performance. Transitioning to television, Paris gained prominence as Agent Martin Flaherty on The Untouchables (1959–1963) before joining The Dick Van Dyke Show, where he also started directing episodes.

Paris was born on July 25, 1925, in San Francisco, California to a Jewish family.

Paris's directorial career flourished in the 1960s and 1970s, earning him a Primetime Emmy Award in 1964 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy for his work on The Dick Van Dyke Show. He went on to direct nearly every episode of the ABC sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984), as well as the pilot episode of Laverne & Shirley (1976) and numerous installments of series like The Odd Couple and That Girl. In film, he helmed comedies including Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968) starring Jerry Lewis, Viva Max! (1969), and the successful sequels Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985) and Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986), which grossed $55.6 million and $43.6 million domestically, respectively. Paris died of complications from an inoperable brain tumor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 60, survived by his three children.