Background and career
David Russell Leisure (born November 16, 1950) is an American actor. He played Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.
Leisure was born and raised in San Diego. He graduated from Grossmont High School and attended San Diego State University.
Leisure moved to Los Angeles after graduating. His first acting job was a minor role in Airplane! (1980) as a Hare Krishna. He had been roommates with the star, Robert Hays, in college, but attributed his casting to his willingness to shave his head. He was not cast in any more roles for the next several years; this, combined with his first divorce in 1983, led to a brief period of homelessness during which he lived in a Volkswagen van. He eventually found work as a commercial pitchman, including a series of commercials for Bell Atlantic. Della Femina Travisano & Partners cast him as Joe Isuzu because they believed he could "lie like a pro". The character made over-the-top claims and obvious lies about Isuzu cars in a series of commercials throughout the 1980s. The character's popularity led to a costarring role as Charley Dietz on the television series Empty Nest. His Joe Isuzu character was brought back in 1999 and continued through 2001. Other roles include Roger Wilkes on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless and, as of July 2010, a recurring role as Salem District Attorney Charles Woods on Days of Our Lives.
His additional credits include Sabrina the Teenage Witch, One on One, V.I.P., Diagnosis: Murder, The Parent 'Hood, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, For Your Love, Caroline in the City, The Wayans Bros., Touched by an Angel, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Renegade, The Golden Girls, Married... with Children, ALF, 227, T. J. Hooker, The Equalizer, Falcon Crest, Sledge Hammer!, Nurses, The Brady Bunch Movie, and Power Rangers Wild Force.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
