Barry Bostwick

Barry Bostwick
Bostwick at the premiere for Earth in April 2009
Born	Barry Knapp Bostwick February 24, 1945 (1945-02-24) San Mateo, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor/Singer
Years active	1970–present
Spouse	Stacey Nelkin (1987-1991) Sherri Jensen (1994-present)

Barry Knapp Bostwick (born February 24, 1945) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Brad Majors in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, replacing Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler in the sitcom What I Like About You, and playing mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom Spin City. He has also had considerable fame in musical theater.

Early life

Bostwick was born in San Mateo, California. He is the son of Betty (née Defendorf), a housewife, and Henry "Bud" Bostwick, Jr., a city planner and actor. His only sibling, Henry "Pete" Bostwick, was killed in a car accident on June 20, 1973. Bostwick attended San Diego's United States International University in 1967, majoring in acting, got his start on the Hillbarn Theatre stage now located in Foster City, and worked for a time as a circus performer. He also attended NYU's Graduate Acting Program, graduating in 1968.

Career

In 1970, Bostwick was a member of a pop group called The Klowns, assembled and promoted by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, whose members performed wearing stylized clown makeup and costumes. Their lone, 1970 album was produced by Jeff Barry, and generated a minor Billboard hit single, "Lady Love".

He replaced C.C. Courtney in the musical Salvation. His next stage appearance was in the 1971 rock opera Soon, which closed after three performances. In 1972, Bostwick originated the role of bad boy Danny Zuko in the stage production of Grease, earning a Tony Award nomination for his performance. In 1975 he starred with Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon as Brad in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. He also won a Tony Award for his performance in the 1977 musical The Robber Bridegroom. In 1982 he starred in Megaforce, widely considered one of the worst films ever made. From 1996 to 2002, Bostwick portrayed Randall Winston, the mayor of New York City in the sitcom Spin City opposite Michael J. Fox and his successor, Charlie Sheen. In 2006 Bostwick landed a role replacing Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler in the relatively unknown star vehicle sitcom for then sixteen-year-old Amanda Bynes What I Like About You.

Since 2004, Bostwick has had a recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Other television credits include guest appearances in Charlie's Angels, Hawaii Five-O, The Golden Palace, Grace Under Fire, Cold Case, Scrubs, and Las Vegas, among others. He has also had leading roles in various miniseries, including George Washington, its sequel The Forging of a Nation, Scruples, A Woman of Substance, War and Remembrance, and Till We Meet Again.

Bostwick served as host of the nationally televised annual Capitol Fourth celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for eight years. Bostwick was also seen in a Pepsi Twist' commercial. In the Cold Case episode "Creatures of the Night", in which he is the main suspect, the theme of the episode revolves around The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is among his best-known performances to date.

In 2003, Bostwick appeared on Scrubs as a patient diagnosed with prostate cancer, a disease Bostwick had in real life. In 2008, he appeared in an episode of TV series Ugly Betty as an attorney to the Meade family. In 2007, Bostwick gained a recurring role, as Grandpa Clyde Flynn on the animated television series, Phineas and Ferb. Bostwick is also the spokesperson for Optimum Voice. In June 2009 he played Father Jimmy, the ineffective exorcist in the independent horror comedy The Selling, written by Gabriel Diani and directed by Emily Lou.

Barry Bostwick was supposed to appear on season 3 of Private Practice as "the Captain", a father of the Addison Montgomery character, but had to resign due to a scheduling conflict. Bostwick will portray a small town sheriff in the John Landis-produced thriller Some Guy Who Kills People!

In October 2010, Bostwick briefly appeared in the Rocky Horror-themed Glee episode.

Personal life

Bostwick married Stacey Nelkin in 1987, but they were divorced in 1991. Bostwick married his second wife Sherri Ellen Jenkins in 1994 and has two children, Brian and Chelsea. He filed for divorce in June 2009.

In 1997, Bostwick was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 10 days later had his prostate removed. In 2004, he won the Gilda Radner Courage Award from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Filmography

Feature films

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Weekend at Bernie's II
• Chestnut: Hero Of Central Park
• Road Movie
• Movie, Movie
• Skulls III
• Swing
• Megaforce
• The Secret Agent Club
• Spy Hard
• Fantastic Planet
• Jennifer On My Mind
• Evening
• 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure
• Chestnut: Hero of Central Park
• Nancy Drew
• Depth Charge
• Holiday Baggage
• Hannah Montana: The Movie
• It's a Dog Gone Tale: Destiny's Stand
• Bedrooms
• Some Guy Who Kills People
• Miss Nobody
• The Selling
• Secrets of the Mountain
• 2010: Moby Dick

Television

Year	Title	Character	Notes
1979	Murder by Natural Causes	Gil Weston
1979	Hawaii Five O, "Year of the Horse"	Lucas Sandover	Double Episode
1981	Red Flag: The Ultimate Game	Maj Jay Rivers
1982	Working	Steelworker	American Playhouse production
1984	George Washington	Gen. George Washington
1985	Deceptions	Grant Roberts
1986	George Washington: Forging of a Nation	Gen. George Washington
	Betrayed By Innocence	Nick DeLeon
1987	I'll Take Manhattan	Zachary Amberville
1988	War and Remembrance (TV miniseries)	Lieutenant Carter “Lady” Aster
	Body of Evidence	Mark Dwyer
1989	Till We Meet Again (TV miniseries)	Terrence 'Mac' McGuire
1990	Challenger	Comm. Francis R. (Dick) Scobee
1990	The Great Air Race	Roscoe Turner
1992	The Golden Palace	gigolo Nick
1994	Once in a Lifetime	Dr. Matthew Dane
1996–2002	Spin City	Mayor Randall Winston
1997	Lexx	Thodin
1998	One Hot Summer Night	Art Brooks
2003	Scrubs	Mr.Randolph
2004–2007	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Oliver Gates	6 Episodes total
2005	Cold Case	Roy Brigham Anthony	Season 2 Episode 21 - "Creatures of the Night"
2007–2008	Phineas and Ferb	Grandpa Clyde Flynn
2007	Ugly Betty	Claire Meade's attorney	Episode "Odor in the Court"
2008	Depth Charge	President Taylor
2009	Nip/Tuck	Roger Payne	Season 6 Episode 1 - "Don Hoberman"
2009	Supernatural	The Amazing Jay	Season 4 Episode 12 - "Criss Angel is a Douchebag"
2010	Cougar Town	Roger Frank
2010	Glee	Tim Stanwick	Cameo in "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" with Meat Loaf

Stage productions

• Grease, 1972, (Danny Zuko). Nominated for Tony Award
• They Knew What They Wanted, 1976, (Joe). Nominated for Tony Award
• The Robber Bridegroom, 1977, Tony Award, Best Actor
• Nick & Nora opposite Joanna Gleason, 1991

Further reading

• Evans, David and Scott Michaels. Rocky Horror: Concept to Cult. London: Sanctuary, 2002.
• Lipton, Michael A. and Nancy Matsumoto. “Serial Dad: Michael J. Fox Looks Up to 6’4” Actor”. People March 10, 1997: 99.
• Uhry, Alfred. "The Trail of the Robber B". The Robber Bridegroom CD Liner Notes 1998: 2.
• Hunt, Paula. "Bostwick Tells Story of Survival". Express-News, March 6, 2006.

External links

• Barry Bostwick at the Internet Broadway Database
• Barry Bostwick at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Barry Bostwick at the Internet Movie Database
• Barry Bostwick at AllRovi