David Bickford - Biography

Making his television debut doing magic for the legendary comedy team "Bob and Ray" on a local PBS special, this Middletown, Connecticut native has been acting and performing since an early age, amassing many local and regional theatre credits before going off to college in the 1970's. Politically active in his student years, David was an early member of the central Connecticut chapter of the National Organization for Women, and, while in high school, chaired the local students campaign for US Senate candidate Joseph Duffy, reporting directly to Yale Law student Bill Clinton, who coordinated the state-wide student effort,. After graduating from Wesleyan University, with majors in both Theatre and Government, he moved to New York where he first gained national recognition in over 150 commercials as "Books Dalton", the spokesman for B. Dalton Bookstores. While in New York he was the house pianist at Perilous Pauline's pub, while recurring as press photographer "George" on "The Guiding Light," and film editor "Dick Entwhistle" on the "Edge of Night." He has never lived in Washington, D.C. but some of his greatest triumphs were there. In 1985, he played piano at the Kennedy Center Honors when Lerner and Lowe received medals from President Reagan. He was also flown there by Steven Soderbergh to shoot a scene with Michael Douglas in "Traffic" and even spent some time in the artificial White House of "The West Wing" as "Karl" from NASA. Now living in Los Angeles, he has been active for many years with the respected Hollywood ensemble Theatre of NOTE; plays piano with "The Black Orchid Trio;" is lead guitar in the all-actor rock band "Brando's Pants," and continues to work in film and television