Randall Carver, 'Taxi' Actor, Seen in Rare Public Outing at 80

Veteran actor Randall Carver, known for his role as John Burns in the acclaimed 1970s sitcom "Taxi," was recently seen on a rare public outing. Carver, now 80, was spotted waving at his wife, Shelley Hermann, in Los Angeles.

Carver's departure from "Taxi" after its inaugural season in 1978 remains a notable moment in the show's history. He played the naive cab driver John Burns, who joins the ensemble cast led by Judd Hirsch. Despite the show's eventual success, earning 18 Emmys and running for five seasons until 1983, Carver's character was deemed "bland" by writers who struggled to develop storylines for him.

According to an interview with Carver in Marley Brant's book "Happier Days: Paramount Television's Classic Sitcoms 1974-1984," producers released him from the show "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." Carver himself reflected on the experience in a June 2025 interview with Cracked, acknowledging that being removed from a hit series after the first season is often career-limiting.

Despite this setback, Carver continued to work in television and film. His roles include appearances on "The Love Boat," "The Norm Show," and "Malcolm in the Middle," as well as a role in the 2007 film "There Will Be Blood." His last credited television role was in a 2016 episode of "Oobered."

Carver reunited with some of his "Taxi" co-stars, including Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Andy Kaufman, Jeff Conaway, Judd Hirsch, and Tony Danza, for the 1999 film "Man on the Moon," which chronicled the life of Kaufman. He described the reunion on the recreated "Taxi" garage set as "déjà vu all over again."

Carver married writer Hermann in 2012. He was pictured with his wife in Los Angeles recently, looking animated during the outing.