From his portrayal of the quintessential all American Brad Majors in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to the hilarious Mayor Randall Winston on ABC’s “Spin City,” Barry Bostwick has had quite a career spanning all genres and mediums of show business.
Barry has had starring roles in many highly acclaimed television film and miniseries. He portrayed George Washington in the two part Peabody award winning CBS mini-series epic “George Washington.” He won a Golden Globe for his performance as Lieutenant “Lady” Aster in ABC’s thirty-hour presentation of “War and Remembrance.”
Aside from George Washington, he also played another President in “Men in White,” National Lampoon’s spoof of “Men in Black” for the Fox Family Channel. Recently he has guest starred on several current TV shows: “CougerTown,” “Nip/Tuck,” “The Forgotten,” “The Ghostwhisperer” and a reoccurring role on “T’il Death,” as well as completing four pilots, “Spellbound” and “The Twelfth Man” for Fox and “The News” for Touchstone and currently “Secrets Of The Mountain” for NBC.
He is also active in the animation world, among others, supplying the voice for Stan in “The Afterlife,” an animation pilot for FOX and Grandpa on Disneys “Phinius and Ferb.”
Additionally, Barry has appeared in several television musical specials for PBS including “Broadway Plays Washington,” “The Best of Broadway,” “In Performance at the White House,” “Irving Berlin’s 100th Birthday Celebration at Carnegie Hall,” and an adaptation of the Broadway hit “Working.”
Barry made his professional stage debut when he was a sophomore at San Diego’s U.S.I.U. School of Performing Arts in the summer stock production of “Take Her, She’s Mine,” with Walter Pidgeon. He attended N.Y.U.’s Graduate School of the Arts and made his Broadway debut soon thereafter with the APA Phoenix Repertory Company in the title role in Sean O’Casey’s “Cock-a-Doodle-Dandy.”
He was in the American premiere of Jean Genet’s “The Screens.” His first Tony nomination was for his characterization of Danny Zuko in “Grease.” his second nomination was for his portrayal of Joey in “They Knew What They Wanted” for the Phoenix Theater. Barry won the coveted Tony for “Best Actor in a Musical” for his portrayal of The Robber Bridegroom, a role he originally created at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
In the past 12 monthes Barry has completed 5 features, “Some Guy Who Kills People,” “Miss Nobody,” “The Selling,” “Destiny,” “Bedrooms” and “Holiday Baggage” with Cheryl Ladd and this past Spring he was seen in Hannah Montana: The Movie with Miley Cyrus. Last year Barry had two features released, “Evening” with Meryl Streep and “Nancy Drew.”
Barry has been very outspoken about his bout with prostate cancer several years ago. He has worked with many organizations and has spoken around the country as a prostate cancer survivor. On behalf of the American Cancer Society, Barry received the “Courage Award” presented by President Clinton in recognition of his determination to reach others about the importance of early detection. Barry is also the recipient of the Gilda Radner Courage Award from the Roswell Institute in Buffalo, New York, where the PSA test was developed, and the Brooklyn Hospital Foundation Award in recognition of his extraordinary efforts to tell his personal story in the hopes of helping others.
Barry Bostwick resides with his wife Sherri Ellen and their two children, Brian and Chelsea in the canyons above Malibu. Barry is an accomplished ceramic artist. His work has been displayed in prominent galleries and he gives many of his pieces away to various charities around the country.
Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat chats with actor Barry Bostwick
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