Best recalled as the sleazy member of the One-Two-One Club on the NBC series "Dear John" (1988-92), the good-looking, blond Burns has often played obnoxious, overbearing, antagonizing and sarcastic characters in TV series and, less frequently, in TV-movies and features. Burns was a theatrical late bloomer, as he "experienced life" for two years after high school before going to college and it took some time in college before he was drawn to acting. After earning his degree, he moved to New York where he began appearing in Off-Broadway productions, including a version of "Don Juan" for the New York Shakespeare Festival. He also made his TV debut in a small role in the 1984 ABC Afterschool Special "Mom's on Strike". Within three weeks of moving to L.A. in 1985, he was cast as a pathological rapist in several episodes of the NBC drama series "Hill Street Blues". In 1987, he landed the recurring role of a body collector on "Max Headroom" (ABC). The next year, Burns was cast in the role of Kirk Morris, the member of the club for divorced adults least likely to win the heart of a judge, in "Dear John" (NBC, 1988-92). In 1993, he was slotted into "Bob" (CBS), the least successful Bob Newhart series, as an obnoxious sales vice president. The following season, Burns was added to the cast of NBC's "The Mommies", as a sarcastic, homebody father named Tom. He was next cast as Mel Harris' husband, a teacher, working to make their marriage and blended family succeed in the sitcom "Something So Right" (NBC, 1996-97; ABC, 1997-98).
Burns' work in TV-movies and films has been sporadic. He played the villainous Cade Dalton in the NBC miniseries "Luck of the Draw: The Gambler Returns" (1991). He made his feature film debut as a hockey player in the 1986 Michael Keaton vehicle "Touch and Go" and also appeared in "Wired" (1989) and as one of Kirk Douglas' relatives in "Greedy" (1994).
Profession(s):
Actor, lifeguard, cab driver
Sometimes Credited As:
Education
Tisch School of the Arts, New York University New York, New York acting
University of Massachusetts at Amherst Amherst, Massachusetts BA comparative literature 1980
2001 Acted on stage opposite Susan Blakely in premiere of play "Diva"
1993 Joined cast of CBS sitcom "Bob"
1991 Co-starred in miniseries "Luck of the Draw: The Gambler Returns"
1987 Had recurring role on "Max Headroom"
1986 Made feature film debut, "Touch and Go"
1985 Moved to Los Angeles; played unrepentant rapist on "Hill Street Blues" episodes
1984 Had early TV role in Afterschool Special, "Mom's On Strike"
1981 Made Off-Broadway debut in "Don Juan" (date approximate)
1974 - 1976 After high school, bummed around Europe and worked as a lifeguard and cab driver before starting college
Played Kirk Morris on the NBC sitcom "Dear John
Joined cast of NBC sitcom "The Mommies"
Starred as Mel Harris' husband in "Something So Right" (NBC, 1996-1997; ABC, 1997-98)
