‘C.P.O. Sharkey’ Actor David Landsberg Dies @ 73

David Landsberg, who played the quintessential nerd (Recruit Skolnick) on C.P.O. Sharkey from 1976-1978, has died following complications from esophageal cancer surgery, THR reports. He was 73.

Landsberg with Don Rickles on C.P.O. Sharkey (Image via NBC)

Born September 3, 1944, Landsberg's national-TV debut was on the Don Rickles (1926-2017) series, followed by a memorable performance as a bad blind date on Rhoda (1978).

He made more episodic-TV appearances, including on The Love Boat (twice, in 1977 and 1979), Eight Is Enough (1981), and Bosom Buddies (1982), and was the voice of Woody Woodpecker on Yogi's Space Race (1977-1979).

Landsberg (Image via NBC)

In films, Landsberg made his mark on Love at First Bite (1979), Skatetown U.S.A. (1979), The Jerk (1979), and Shoot the Moon (1982), among others.

Other than voices, he had not acted on TV or in films in nearly 20 years, but was a successful writer. Perhaps his biggest gig was writing five episodes of Cosby (1996-1998). He wrote the screenplay for Sex Tax: Based on a True Story (2010), about the first government-owned brothel.

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