Barry Bostwick

Barry Knapp Bostwick, born February 24, 1945, in San Mateo, California, is an American actor whose career spans Broadway, film, and television. His father, Henry "Bud" Bostwick, worked as both a city planner and actor, and his mother, Elizabeth "Betty" Bostwick, was a housewife. His older brother, Henry "Pete" Bostwick, died at age 32 in a car accident on July 20, 1973. Bostwick pursued his education at the United States International University in San Diego beginning in 1967, where he majored in acting, and subsequently completed NYU's Graduate Acting Program in 1968. Before his formal training concluded, he gained early performance experience at the Hillbarn Theatre, now located in Foster City, and worked for a period as a circus performer.

Bostwick's Broadway career extended from 1969 to 1991 and encompassed a range of productions including the musical Soon, Cock-A-Doodle Dandy, Hamlet, The Robber Bridegroom, The Pirates of Penzance, and Nick & Nora. The rock opera Soon, in which he appeared in 1971, closed after only three performances. Among his most significant stage achievements was originating the role of Danny Zuko in the 1972 Broadway production of Grease, a performance that earned him a Tony Award nomination. He went on to win the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1977 for his work in The Robber Bridegroom.

Prior to his Tony win, Bostwick had also been involved in musical projects outside the theatre. He was a member of First National Nothing, a rock-theater collective that released the album If You Sit Real Still and Hold My Hand, You Will Hear Absolutely Nothing in 1970. That same year, he performed with The Klowns, a pop band assembled and promoted by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, whose members appeared in stylized clown costumes and makeup. The group's sole album, produced by Jeff Barry, yielded a minor Billboard charting single titled "Lady Love." He also replaced C.C. Courtney in the musical Salvation during this period.

On screen, Bostwick became widely recognized for his portrayal of Brad Majors alongside Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975. In 1973, he had provided the English-dubbed voice of Terr in the animated film Fantastic Planet. He played George Washington in the CBS four-part miniseries on Washington's life in 1984, and reprised the role two years later in the two-part sequel George Washington: The Forging of a Nation. In 1981, he starred in the television adaptation of the film Foul Play, and in 1982 he appeared in Megaforce. He also starred as Rick Armstrong in the ABC sitcom Dads during the 1986–87 season alongside Carl Weintraub.

From 1996 to 2002, Bostwick portrayed Mayor Randall Winston of New York City in the sitcom Spin City, appearing opposite Michael J. Fox and later Charlie Sheen. He held a recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit between 2004 and 2007, and from 2010 to 2014 appeared as Roger Frank on Cougar Town, starring Courteney Cox. In 2007, he began a recurring role as Grandpa Clyde Flynn on the animated series Phineas and Ferb. Additional television appearances include guest roles on Charlie's Angels, Hawaii Five-O, The Golden Palace, Grace Under Fire, and Las Vegas, as well as a 2003 appearance on Scrubs as a patient with prostate cancer and a 2008 appearance on Ugly Betty as an attorney to the Meade family. He served as host of the nationally televised Capitol Fourth celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for eight years.

Bostwick was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997 and had his prostate removed that July. In 2004, he received the Gilda Radner Courage Award from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 2020, he executive produced and starred in the short film Molly Robber as Ron Baker, a project that won an Audience Award at the 2020 Austin Film Festival and was selected for the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Bostwick married Stacey Nelkin in 1987; the couple divorced in 1991. He married Sherri Ellen Jensen in 1993, and they have two children together.