You probably remember the smile. It was wide, toothy, and fundamentally untrustworthy. In the late 1980s, you couldn't turn on a television without seeing a man in a cheap suit promising you a car for nine dollars or claiming he could outrun a bullet. That was Joe Isuzu, the pathological liar who somehow became the most honest man in advertising. But if you look at David Leisure movies and tv shows, you'll realize the guy wasn't just a commercial pitchman. He was a cornerstone of Saturday night sitcoms and a guy who could make a bit part in a cult classic feel like the main event.
Most people pigeonhole him. They see the Isuzu guy or the "annoying neighbor" from Empty Nest. Honestly, that’s doing him a disservice. Leisure had this specific brand of smarmy charm that felt uniquely Californian and perfectly suited for the era of Reagan-era excess and 90s irony. He wasn't just a face; he was a vibe.
The Liar We All Loved: Joe Isuzu
It's weird to think a car commercial could be "must-see TV," but that’s exactly what happened in 1986. Leisure didn't just play a character; he created a cultural phenomenon. The premise was simple: Joe Isuzu would look at the camera and tell a blatant, ridiculous lie. Then, a subtitle would pop up at the bottom of the screen saying, "He's lying."
He’d claim the Isuzu Trooper could hold the entire state of Texas. Subtitle: 78.2 cubic feet of it. He’d swear on his mother’s grave that the quality was unsurpassed, only for his mother to call him on a cell phone a second later. It was meta before we really used the word "meta." David Leisure took a degree in Fine Arts from San Diego State University and used it to become the most recognizable face of "inauthenticity" in America.
People loved it. Even Michael Dukakis mentioned Joe Isuzu during the 1988 presidential debates. Think about that. A fictional car salesman became a shorthand for political dishonesty. That’s reach.
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Living in the Empty Nest
While the commercials made him a star, the sitcom Empty Nest made him a household fixture. Playing Charley Dietz, the womanizing, mooching neighbor of Dr. Harry Weston (Richard Mulligan), Leisure found his stride.
The show was a spin-off of The Golden Girls, and it's funny to look back at how it started. In the original "backdoor pilot," Leisure’s character was actually named Oliver. He was still the annoying neighbor, but the show was retooled. When it finally launched in 1988, he became Charley.
Charley Dietz was basically a cruise ship employee who spent more time in the Westons' kitchen than his own home. He was the classic "wacky neighbor" trope, but Leisure gave him a layer of self-awareness. He knew he was a mooch. He knew he was obnoxious. He leaned into it.
He stayed for the whole run—seven seasons. That’s 170 episodes of barging through the back door. Leisure once joked that he was the "highest-paid under-five" in the business, meaning he’d often have fewer than five lines but still get a massive paycheck because he was so integral to the show's chemistry.
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The Small Screen and Big Screen Legacy
If you scan through a list of David Leisure movies and tv shows, you’ll find he’s one of those guys who has been in everything.
Remember the Hare Krishna in the 1980 classic Airplane!? That was him. He was actually roommates with the lead, Robert Hays, back at SDSU. That role was tiny—just a guy in a saffron robe getting punched or shoved in the airport—but it’s a piece of cinema history. He even came back for Airplane II: The Sequel.
Then there’s his turn in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). He plays Mr. Chapin, the soccer coach and detention monitor. It’s a small role, but he brings that same "I’d rather be anywhere else" energy that defined 90s authority figures in teen movies.
A Journey Through the Credits
- The Soap Opera Pivot: Later in his career, he went the daytime route. He played Roger Wilkes on The Young and the Restless and District Attorney Charles Woods on Days of Our Lives.
- The Voice Work: He voiced Metus in Bionicle: The Legend Reborn.
- The Guest Spots: Name a show from the 80s or 90s, and he was likely there. Married... with Children (as Bink Winkleman), ALF, 227, T.J. Hooker, and Diagnosis: Murder.
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a misconception that Leisure was just a lucky guy who fell into a commercial gig. Not true. Before the Joe Isuzu fame, he was living out of a VW van. He was a struggling actor doing stage plays in San Diego and taking whatever minor roles came his way.
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The Joe Isuzu character actually made it harder for him to get work for a while. Producers didn't want "the car guy" in their serious projects. It took Empty Nest to prove he could carry a scripted character over a long period.
He was essentially the king of the "Hey, it's that guy!" actors. You know the face, you know the voice, but you might not always remember the name. But when you see him, you know you’re going to get a performance that’s a little bit greasy, a little bit charming, and always funny.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive back into David Leisure’s work, don't just stick to the highlights.
- Watch the "Backdoor Pilot": Check out The Golden Girls Season 2, Episode 26 ("Empty Nests"). It’s a fascinating look at what could have been before the show was retooled.
- Hunt for the Commercials: YouTube is a goldmine for the Isuzu ads. They hold up surprisingly well because the humor is based on the absurdity of the claims, not just 80s aesthetics.
- The Soap Run: If you want to see him do something slightly more "serious" (or as serious as soaps get), find his 2009-2010 episodes on The Young and the Restless.
Leisure officially "retired" the Joe Isuzu character in 1990, but he brought him back for a brief revival in 1999 and even did a YouTube reprisal as late as 2018. The man knows his audience. He knows that we all, on some level, miss being lied to by a guy with a smile that wide.
To truly appreciate David Leisure, you have to look past the white Bermuda shorts and the Isuzu Trooper. You have to see a guy who mastered the art of the "supporting character" and became a central part of the American pop culture consciousness for two decades. Whether he’s wearing a saffron robe or a cheap car salesman suit, he’s always been the most interesting person in the room.