How Did David Birney Die?

David Edwin Birney was an American actor and director whose career included performances in both contemporary and classical roles in theatre, film, and television. He is noted for having played the title role in the television series Serpico. He also starred in Bridget Loves Bernie, an early 1970s TV series about an interfaith marriage that also starred Meredith Baxter, whom he married after the series ended. He also portrayed Dr. Ben Samuels in St. Elsewhere from 1982 until 1983.