correction
A previous version of this article incorrectly attributed David Birney’s quote about creating “a real sense of community” through theater to a story in the Globe and Mail. That story originally appeared in the New York Times. This article has been corrected.
David Birney, who played classical theater roles on Broadway but was best known for his expansive work on television, including as a star of the popular but short-lived sitcom “Bridget Loves Bernie,” a portrayal of interfaith marriage that paired him with his future wife, Meredith Baxter, died April 27 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 83.