Kenneth "Ken" Lerner is an American actor and acting coach born on May 27, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from Brooklyn College with a degree in English, he trained under renowned acting teacher Roy London before launching a career that has spanned nearly five decades across film, television, and theater. Lerner first gained recognition with recurring roles on Happy Days and went on to become one of Hollywood's most dependable character actors, appearing in more than 80 television series and dozens of films. His credits include The Running Man, RoboCop 2, The Exorcist III, Friends, Chicago Hope, Desperate Housewives, Scrubs, NCIS, The Goldbergs, and many other popular productions. Buffy fans know him best for portraying Principal Bob Flutie in the opening episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Flutie served as Sunnydale High's kind-hearted principal before meeting one of the series' earliest shocking deaths, a moment that established the show's willingness to put even sympathetic characters in real danger. Beyond acting, Lerner has enjoyed a distinguished career as an acting coach, founding The Ken Lerner Studio in Los Angeles, where he has trained and mentored countless actors while continuing to work regularly in television and film. He is also the father of actor Sam Lerner and the younger brother of Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Lerner.