Gregory Harrison

Gregory Neale Harrison, born May 31, 1950, in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, California, is an American actor whose career has spanned television, film, and Broadway. The middle child of Ed Harrison, a ship's captain and poet, and Donna Lee Nagely, an aspiring dancer, Harrison grew up with an older sister, Kathleen, born in 1948, and a younger brother, Christopher, born in 1961. His parents eventually divorced. Before pursuing acting, Harrison served two years in the United States Army during the Vietnam War era, working as a medic.

Harrison's early television work included the title role in the science fiction series Logan's Run from 1977 to 1978, followed by the role of Levi Zendt in the NBC miniseries Centennial, based on James Michener's novel of the same name, which aired from October 1978 to February 1979. He also appeared in an episode of M*A*S*H prior to landing the role that would define much of his early career. Beginning in 1979, Harrison played Dr. George Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates, a young surgical assistant to Dr. Trapper John McIntyre, portrayed by Pernell Roberts, on the CBS medical drama Trapper John, M.D., itself a spinoff of M*A*S*H. He remained with the series through the middle of its seventh season before departing; the show concluded its run at the end of the 1985–86 season.

During the 1980s, Harrison took on a variety of additional projects. His portrayal of stripper John Phillips in the 1981 television film For Ladies Only brought him a devoted following. In 1986, he appeared in the miniseries Fresno, a prime-time spoof in which his character appeared shirtless throughout, a send-up of his earlier role. Fresno itself parodied the CBS series Falcon Crest, which Harrison subsequently joined as a regular cast member in its final season from 1989 to 1990, playing ruthless business tycoon Michael Sharpe. Following Falcon Crest, Lorimar Television cast him in the CBS sitcom The Family Man, in which he played a single fireman father raising four children with the assistance of his father-in-law, played by Al Molinaro. The series premiered in fall 1990 and was cancelled after one season. Harrison also acknowledged a cocaine addiction that developed during the 1980s, which he overcame with the help of the Betty Ford Center.

In the 1990s, Harrison continued working steadily in television. He joined the cast of NBC's Sisters for the 1994–95 season as Daniel Albright. In 1996, he co-starred with Eric Roberts in It's My Party, a film based on the true story of a man in the final stages of AIDS who organized a farewell gathering for friends and family. He later starred in the WB Network series Safe Harbor and One Tree Hill, and made guest appearances on programs including Touched by an Angel, Judging Amy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Joey, Reunion, Rizzoli & Isles, Drop Dead Diva, and Hot in Cleveland. In 2011, he had a guest role as a doctor on ABC's Body of Proof.

Harrison's Broadway career ran from 1996 to 2003 and encompassed three productions. He starred in the original Broadway production of Steel Pier, the musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb. He subsequently appeared as Benjamin Stone in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies. Harrison also played Billy Flynn in both the touring and Broadway productions of Chicago. On screen, he served as the male lead, Oliver Caldwell, across each installment of the Au Pair film trilogy.

Harrison's later television work includes recurring roles on two long-running series. Beginning in 2015, he has portrayed Joe O'Toole, father of the lead character Oliver, in the Hallmark Channel expansion films of Signed, Sealed and Delivered. From 2020 to 2024, he played Gregory Chase on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital.

In his personal life, Harrison has been married to actress Randi Oakes since December 21, 1980. The two met while competing on opposite teams during a 1979 edition of Battle of the Network Stars, with Harrison representing CBS and Oakes representing NBC. Their marriage remained private for several years. Together they have four children: Emma Lee, born in 1985; Lily Anne, born in 1989; Kate, born in 1991; and an adopted son, Quinn Edgar. The family lived in Sherman Oaks, California before relocating to Southern Oregon in the early 1990s, residing first in Gold Beach for fifteen years and subsequently in Eugene.