A comedy star who shared the screen with Danny DeVito and Marilu Henner in the 1970s has been spotted during a rare public appearance.
Now 80, the actor is best known for playing cab driver John Burns on the iconic sitcom Taxi, which chronicled the daily lives of a colorful group of drivers and their abrasive dispatcher.
But the star was unexpectedly dropped from the Judd Hirsch-led series after its first season in 1978.
He quickly moved on from the setback, going on to appear in shows including The Love Boat, The Norm Show and Malcolm in the Middle, as well as the acclaimed film There Will Be Blood.
The shirtless actor appeared animated as he waved to his wife during the daytime outing. The couple have been married for 14 years.
So, can you guess who he is?
A comedy star who rose to fame in the 1970s alongside Danny DeVito and Marilu Henner has been seen during a rare public outing.
The actor looked animated as he waved to his wife during the daytime outing. They have been married for 14 years. So, can you guess who he is?
It is Randall Carver. The veteran actor kept things casual as he was recently photographed waving to his wife, Shelley Hermann, in Los Angeles.
Carver is best remembered as the naive John Burns, who decides to become a cab driver in the first episode of Taxi after initially riding in Alex’s, played by Hirsch, cab.
However, Carver was abruptly dismissed from the series, which is widely considered one of television’s greatest shows. Taxi would go on to win 18 Emmy Awards.
Taxi ran for five seasons before being canceled in 1983. Its cast included DeVito as Louie, Andy Kaufman as Latka, Jeff Conaway as Bobby and Tony Danza as Tony.
According to IMDb, citing Marley Brant’s interview with Carver in her book Happier Days: Paramount Television’s Classic Sitcoms 1974-1984, producers let the actor go at the end of the first season “not because of poor acting or any personal issues on the set, but rather because the writers simply didn’t know what to do with his character.”
Burns was considered “bland,” leaving the writers struggling to develop storylines for him.
Speaking to Cracked in June 2025, Carver reflected on losing the role: “I’ve thought a lot about getting the boot from the show because that’s generally the kiss of death.
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“For a guy to be on a hit series and then leave after the first season, there’s not much going to be heard from him ever again.”
It’s Randall Carver. Pictured in the front row on the left in 1978, he played John Burns in Taxi alongside Andy Kaufman as Latka, Marilu Henner as Elaine, Jeff Conaway as Bobby, Danny DeVito as Louie, Judd Hirsch as Alex and Tony Danza as Tony.
Carver is best known for playing the naive John Burns, who becomes a cab driver in the first episode of Taxi after being a passenger in Alex’s, played by Judd Hirsch, car. He was let go after the first season.
Carver played Mr. Bankside in the 2007 Oscar-winning film There Will Be Blood, pictured here with Coco Leigh.
Carver appeared alongside Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote in 1984.
The star’s last credited TV role was in a 2016 episode of Oobered
Carver looked sprightly as he waved at his wife
Carver is seen reuniting with the Taxi cast in 2007
Carver is pictured with wife Shelley Herman
‘I did a series called Six O’Clock Follies about Armed Forces Television in Vietnam. I was the third lead in that. That came from the casting director of Taxi who realized what a raw deal I got.’
Carver would later reunite with his Taxi co-stars in 1999 film, Man on the Moon, depicting the life of Kaufman, with Jim Carrey playing the star.
He said: ‘It was wonderful. It was déjà vu all over again. When we walked onto the sound stage, they had recreated the Taxi garage. It was perfect. It was the exact size and everything. The stains on the wall, the cab there, Louie’s cage — all of it was spot-on.’
Carver married writer Herman in 2012.
Our News Outlet has contacted a representative for Carver for comment and has yet to hear back.
