# Barry Bostwick

Barry Knapp Bostwick (born February 24, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom Spin City (1996–2002). Bostwick has also had considerable success in musical theatre, winning a Tony Award for his role in The Robber Bridegroom and performing the role of Danny Zuko in the original production of Grease.

## Early life

Bostwick was born February 24, 1945, in San Mateo, California. He is the son of Elizabeth "Betty" (née Defendorf), a housewife, and Henry "Bud" Bostwick, a city planner and actor. His only sibling, older brother Henry "Pete" Bostwick, died at the age of 32 in a car accident on July 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

Bostwick was a member of First National Nothing, who released one album, 1970's "If You Sit Real Still and Hold My Hand, You Will Hear Absolutely Nothing." They are described on the album as "A rock-theater commune made up of musicians, actors, dancers, singers, designers, writers, composers, and friends that started a long, long time ago as a lost tribe in California and has ended up as a theatrical performing company in New York City."
In 1970, Bostwick was a member of a pop band called The Klowns, assembled and promoted by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, whose members performed wearing stylized clown makeup and costumes. Their sole album, released in 1970, was produced by Jeff Barry, and generated a minor Billboard hit single, "Lady Love."
Bostwick 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. This was followed by a voice role as Terr in the English-dubbed version of Fantastic Planet in 1973. He later starred with Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), portraying Brad Majors. He also won a Tony Award for his performance in the 1977 musical The Robber Bridegroom. In 1981, Bostwick starred in the TV series adaptation of the 1978 film Foul Play, with his role modeled after Chevy Chase's and co-star Deborah Raffin in Goldie Hawn's part. The following year, he starred in Megaforce. Bostwick starred, along with Carl Weintraub, as Rick Armstrong in the short-lived ABC sitcom Dads during the 1986–87 season. 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 replaced Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler, the father of Amanda Bynes's and Jennie Garth's lead characters, on What I Like About You.
Bostwick had a recurring role between 2004 and 2007 on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He has also had leading roles in various mini-series, including George Washington, its sequel George Washington II: 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.
Other television credits include guest appearances in Charlie's Angels, Hawaii Five-O, The Golden Palace, Grace Under Fire, and Las Vegas.
Bostwick was supposed to appear on the third season of Private Practice as "the Captain," a father of the Addison Montgomery character, but had to resign due to a scheduling conflict. In 2011, Bostwick portrayed 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.
From 2010 to 2014, Bostwick had a recurring role as Roger Frank on the sitcom Cougar Town which starred Courteney Cox. In season three of the show, we learn that Bostwick's character has become mayor of the town the comedy is set in, Gulf Haven. In 2015, he portrayed Collin Winthrop, father of the Gig Harbor Killer, in the season-ending CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "The End Game." He has also had a return to cult musical horror films in the form of Terrance Zdunich's Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival, which is a sequel to the 2012 short film The Devil's Carnival, of which he was not previously a cast member, being a newcomer to the franchise. He starred in Darren Lynn Bousman's segment of the anthology film Tales of Halloween, which was his second time acting under Bousman after Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival, and appeared in the comedy horror film Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves.
In 2020, Bostwick executive produced and starred in the short film Molly Robber as Ron Baker, which won an Audience Award at the 2020 Austin Film Festival and was an official selection at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.

## Personal life

Bostwick married Stacey Nelkin in 1987, and they were divorced in 1991. He married his second wife Sherri Ellen Jensen in 1993; they have two children, a son Brian Bostwick and a daughter Chelsea Bostwick.
In 1997, Bostwick was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and had his prostate removed in July of that year. In 2004, he won the Gilda Radner Courage Award from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

## Select filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | Jennifer on My Mind | Minstrel #1 | |
| 1973 | Fantastic Planet | Narrator | Voice |
| 1974 | Road Movie | Hank | |
| 1975 | The Wrong Damn Film | Alex Rounder | |
| 1975 | The Rocky Horror Picture Show | Brad Majors | |
| 1978 | Movie Movie | Johnny Danko / Dick Cummings | |
| 1982 | Megaforce | Commander Ace Hunter | |
| 1990 | The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible | Joseph | Voice, episode: "Joseph and His Brothers" |
| 1993 | Eight Hundred Leagues Down the Amazon | Garral | |
| 1993 | Weekend at Bernie's II | Arthur Hummel | |
| 1994 | In the Heat of Passion II: Unfaithful | Phillip | |
| 1995 | Project: Metalbeast | Miller | Direct-to-video |
| 1996 | The Secret Agent Club | Vincent Scarletti | |
| 1996 | Spy Hard | Norm Coleman | |
| 2003 | 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure | Thunderbolt | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2003 | Swing | Freddie | |
| 2004 | The Skulls III | Nathan Lloyd | |
| 2004 | Chestnut: Hero of Central Park | Thomas Trundle | |
| 2007 | Nancy Drew | Dashiel Zachary Biedermeyer | |
| 2007 | Evening | Mr. Wittenborn | |
| 2009 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Mr. Bradley | |
| 2010 | Miss Nobody | Father Grisham | |
| 2010 | Bedrooms | Roger | |
| 2010 | Moby Dick | Captain Ahab | |
| 2010 | It's a Dog Gone Tale: Destiny's Stand | Arlen Hanley | |
| 2011 | The Selling | Father Jimmy | |
| 2012 | Some Guy Who Kills People | Sheriff Walt Fuller | |
| 2012 | FDR: American Badass! | Franklin D. Roosevelt | |
| 2013 | Finding Joy | Alan | |
| 2015 | Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival | The Watchword | |
| 2015 | The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power | Sorrell Raskov | |
| 2015 | Home Run Showdown | Big Al | |
| 2016 | The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave | Grandpa Longneck | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2016 | Range 15 | President | |
| 2016 | Three Days in August | John | |
| 2017 | A Mermaid's Tale | Art | Direct-to-video |
| 2018 | Incredibles 2 | Mayor of New Urbem | Voice |
| 2018 | Santa Girl | Santa Claus | |
| 2019 | Grand-Daddy Day Care | Dynamite Dan North | |
| 2019 | 3 from Hell | Narrator | |
| 2019 | Undercover Brother 2 | The Man | |
| 2020 | American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules | PeePaw | |
| 2020 | Molly Robber | Ron Baker | Short film |
| 2021 | Single All the Way | Harold | |
| 2022 | In Search of Tomorrow | Himself | Documentary film |
| 2023 | Outlaw Johnny Black | Tom Sheally | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Charlie's Angels | Ted Machlin | Episode: "The Jade Trap" |
| 1979 | Murder by Natural Causes | Gil Weston | Television film |
| 1979 | You Can't Take It With You | Anthony Kirby Jr. | Television film |
| 1979 | Hawaii Five-O | Lucas Sandover | Episode: "Year of the Horse" |
| 1980 | Scruples | Spider Elliot | Television miniseries |
| 1981 | Red Flag: The Ultimate Game | Maj. Jay Rivers | Television film |
| 1982 | Working | Steelworker | American Playhouse production |
| 1983 | Summer Girl | Gavin Shelburne | Television film |
| 1983 | An Uncommon Love | Mr. Kinser | Television film |
| 1984 | Saturday Night Live | Host | May 5, 1984 |
| 1984 | George Washington | George Washington | Television miniseries |
| 1985 | A Woman of Substance | Major Paul McGill | Television miniseries |
| 1985 | Deceptions | Grant Roberts | Television film |
| 1986 | George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation | George Washington | Television film |
| 1986 | Betrayed By Innocence | Nick DeLeon | Television film |
| 1987 | I'll Take Manhattan | Zachary Amberville | Television miniseries |
| 1988 | War and Remembrance | Lieutenant Carter "Lady" Aster | Television miniseries |
| 1988 | Body of Evidence | Mark Dwyer | Television film |
| 1988 | Addicted to His Love | Larry Hogan | Television film |
| 1989 | Till We Meet Again | Terrence 'Mac' McGuire | Television miniseries |
| 1989 | Parent Trap III | Jeffrey Wyatt | Television film |
| 1989 | Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon | Jeffrey Wyatt | Television film |
| 1990 | Aladdin | Genie of the Lamp / Genie of the Ring | Television film |
| 1990 | Challenger | Comm. Francis R. Scobee | Television film |
| 1990 | The Great Air Race | Roscoe Turner | Television miniseries |
| 1992 | The Golden Palace | Nick DiCarlo | Episode: "Just a Gigolo" |
| 1993 | The Last U-Boat | Captain Hawkins | Television film |
| 1993 | Between Love and Hate | Justin Conrad | Television film |
| 1993 | Praying Mantis | Don McAndrews | Television film |
| 1994 | Once in a Lifetime | Dr. Matthew Dane | Television film |
| 1995 | The Secretary | Eric Bradford | Television film |
| 1995 | The Return of Hunter | Matt Sherry | Television film |
| 1995 | Grace Under Fire | Professor Jack Drayson | Episode: "Mother & Son & Father Reunion" |
| 1995 | High Society | Mark Finnegan | Episode: "Finnigan's Rainbow" |
| 1995 | 919 Fifth Avenue | Mr. Lawrence Van Degen | Television film |
| 1996–2002 | Spin City | Mayor Randall Winston | Main role, 144 episodes |
| 1996 | A Different Kind of Christmas | Frank Mallory | Television film |
| 1997 | Lexx | Thodin | Episode: "I Worship His Shadow" |
| 1998 | One Hot Summer Night | Art Brooks | Television film |
| 1998 | The New Batman Adventures | Irv Kleinman | Voice, episode: "Mean Seasons" |
| 2003 | Scrubs | Mr. Randolph | Episode: "My Dirty Secret" |
| 2004–2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Oliver Gates | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2005 | Las Vegas | Martin | Episode: "Down and Dirty" |
| 2005 | Cold Case | Roy Brigham Anthony | Episode: "Creatures of the Night" |
| 2005–2006 | What I Like About You | Jack Tyler | 2 episodes |
| 2007–2012 | Phineas and Ferb | Grandpa Clyde Flynn | Voice, 8 episodes |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Roger Adams | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Love is a Four Letter Word | Mr. Harper | Television film |
| 2008 | Depth Charge | President Taylor | Television film |
| 2008 | Holiday Baggage | Pete Murphy | Television film |
| 2009 | Nip/Tuck | Roger Payne | Episode: "Don Hoberman" |
| 2009 | Supernatural | The Amazing Jay | Episode: "Criss Angel is a Douchebag" |
| 2009 | Ghost Whisperer | Don Sullivan | Episode: "Till Death Do Us Start" |
| 2009–2010 | 'Til Death | George Von Stuessen | 2 episodes |
| 2010–2014 | Cougar Town | Roger Frank | Recurring role (seasons 1–3), 8 episodes |
| 2010 | Glee | Tim Stanwick | Episode: "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" (cameo) |
| 2010 | Secrets of the Mountain | Henry Beecham | Television film |
| 2012 | Hot in Cleveland | Hugh | Episode: "What's Behind the Door" |
| 2012 | The New Normal | Marty Sawyer | Episode: "Pardon Me" |
| 2013 | Blast Vegas | Sal | Television film |
| 2013 | Teen Beach Movie | Big Poppa | Television film |
| 2013 | Masters of Sex | Morris | Episode: "Brave New World" |
| 2013 | Scandal | Fitzgerald "Jerry" Grant II | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Haunting Of | Himself | Episode: "The Haunting of Barry Bostwick" |
| 2013 | Psych | Roland Armitage | Episode: "Psych: The Musical" |
| 2014 | Enlisted | Russell | Episode: "Vets" |
| 2014 | Franklin & Bash | Jacob "Falcon" Riley | Episode: "Falcon's Nest" |
| 2014 | New Girl | Robert | Episode: "LAXmas" |
| 2015 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Collin Winthrop | Episode: "The End Game" |
| 2015 | The Haunted Hathaways | Council Member #1 | Episode: "Haunted Family" |
| 2015 | Gigi Does It | | Episode: "Love Thyself" |
| 2016 | American Dad! | VanDouzen | Voice, episode: "The Life Aquatic with Steve Smith" |
| 2016 | Childrens Hospital | Grandpa Richie | Episode: "Grandparents Day" |
| 2016–2017 | Still the King | Coy Phisher | Recurring role, 9 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce | George McCarthy | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| 2017 | The Great Indoors | Mather | Episode: "The Explorers' Club" |
| 2017–2018 | Milo Murphy's Law | Clyde Rickenbacker | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2017 | American Housewife | Thomas Otto | Episode: "Family Secrets" |
| 2017 | Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Home Again | Bill Haywith | Television film |
| 2017 | Tangled: The Series | Doctor St. Croix | Voice, episode: "Great Expotations" |
| 2017 | Christmas in Mississippi | Mr. Kriss | Television film (Lifetime) |
| 2018 | Will & Grace | Professor Jerry Wise | Episode: "Three Wise Men" |
| 2018 | Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar | Bill Haywith | Television film |
| 2019 | Christmas in Louisiana | Timothy Winter | Television film (Lifetime) |
| 2019 | The Goldbergs | Professor Majors | Episode: "A 100% True Ghost Story" |
| 2021 | Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. | Will | Episode: "Aloha - The Hello One" |

### Stage productions

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1969 | Cock-A-Doodle-Dandy | Porter, The Cock | Broadway debut |
| 1969 | Hamlet | Ghost, Osric, Player | |
| 1970 | House of Leather | Donny Brook | Closed after one night |
| 1971 | Soon | Kelly | |
| 1972 | Grease | Danny Zuko | Nominated – Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical |
| 1976 | They Knew What They Wanted | Joe | Nominated – Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play |
| 1977 | The Robber Bridegroom | Jamie Lockhart | Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical |
| 1981 | The Pirates of Penzance | The Pirate King | |
| 1991 | Nick & Nora | Nick Charles | opposite Joanna Gleason |
| 2014 | Camelot | Merlin | |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Reference(s) |
| 2018 | Lego The Incredibles | Mayor | Voice role | |
| 2022 | Need for Speed Unbound | Holden Parker III | Voice role | |

### Web

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Research. | Dr. Rust | |
| 2015 | Murder? | Barry Bostwick | |
| 2015–2016 | Inside the Extras Studio | Milt Hamilton | 20 episodes |
| 2018 | The World According to Billy Potwin | Grandpa Davis | 1 episode |
| 2020 | The Rocky Horror Show: Musical Livestream | Brad Majors | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1972 | Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | Grease | Nominated |
| 1976 | Tony Awards | Best Featured Actor in a Play | They Knew What They Wanted | Nominated |
| 1977 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | The Robber Bridegroom | Nominated |
| 1977 | Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | The Robber Bridegroom | Won |
| 1978 | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Movie Movie | Nominated |
| 1979 | National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Movie Movie | Nominated |
| 1989 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | War and Remembrance | Won |
| 2013 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Some Guy Who Kills People | Nominated |