Barry Knapp Bostwick is a Tony Award winning American stage and screen actor. He is known for playing Brad Majors in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He replaced Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler in the sitcom What I Like About You, as well as portraying Mayor R...
Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nominations
Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Movies
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Megaforce, FDR: American Badass!, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure, Movie Movie, Some Guy Who Kills People, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Moby Dick, Spy Hard, Deceptions, Jennifer on My Mind, Finding Joy, Weekend at Bernie's II, Tales of Halloween, The Selling,...
TV Shows
Phineas and Ferb, Spin City, War and Remembrance, George Washington, A Woman of Substance, Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again, Grace and Frankie, Scruples, Dads, Foul Play, The 12th Man, The Agents
Star Sign
Pisces
#
Quote
1
I'll be quoting 'Dammit, Janet' to people for the rest of my life.
#
Fact
1
He was awarded the 1977 Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award for Best Actor in a Musical for "The Robber Bridegroom" on Broadway in New York City.
2
Barry Bostwick always got the appeal of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." His family less so. "My wife has never gotten it," he noted. "My kids weren't quite so happy with it." But the cult midnight movie musical celebrating it's 40th anniversary in 2015 was the perfect fit for Bostwick's quirky sensibilities. "I was a New York actor who did a lot of off-Broadway and weird things," said Bostwick, who originated the role of Danny Zuko on Broadway in 1972 in "Grease" and won a Tony in 1977 for the musical "The Robber Bridegroom." Being a fan of the "theater of ridiculous-minded" also helped, he said. "Even though I was playing a very straight character - Brad Majors - who was the epitome of the young Republican and '50s male, I was the opposite of that," he explained. "That's why I could play it and understand it. I had a real love for all of those sort of iconic characters, and I loved the tongue-in-cheek aspect of it." Four decades later, the fit and funny 70-year-old Bostwick is taking on offbeat roles. In 2012, he starred in the slapstick indie comedy "FDR: American Badass!," in which he battled pesky werewolves who carried the polio virus. He finished the independent comedy "Helen Keller vs. Night-wolves," in which he plays the romantic lead. "I play someone much younger than myself and I have too much eye makeup on," he said with a twinkle of his blue eyes. Bostwick appeared in a Web series, "Inside the Extras Studio," in which he spoofs James Lipton, the host of "Inside the Actors Studio." "It's all about me interviewing some of the famous extras,' said Bostwick. "I run a school to teach them to be extras." Bostwick plays a much more traditional character in his project, the romantic comedy "Love Under The Stars," on the Sunday evening cable series Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Ashley Newbrough plays Becca, a young graduate student who is mentored by Walt (Bostwick), her sweet and concerned college adviser. Though Bostwick's played his share of bad guys, including Fitz's horrible father who rapes Mellie on ABC's "Scandal," he loves playing someone like Walt. "I like playing the mentoring, kind, supportive yet attractive male," he said. "It goes all the way back to when I did the Judith Krantz miniseries 'Scruples' with Lindsay Wagner. I did a number of Judith Krantz things. She always used to cast me because I seem to have a respect for women and her pieces always had that guy who was just a really nice guy and supportive. In a way this character sort of goes full circle." Bostwick was also a mentor on set. "He was encouraging and really looked out for me as well," said Ashley Newbrough. "He notices small things that make a difference when you are an actor. After an emotional scene, he was the first one to make me laugh and help me shake it off. Barry is unaware of his enormous presence and what he gives as an actor".
3
Bostwick, who frequently attends Comic-Con-style conventions because of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," was excited about the film's big 40th-anniversary New York City convention held in September, 2015. The musical, which also starred Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry, has saved a lot of lives, Bostwick noted, because people found a community going to the midnight screenings. "People found who they were through that movie. I can't tell you the number of people who come up to me and say it was one of the most meaningful if not the most meaningful moments in their lives when they first saw that movie and were part of the audience".
4
Barry Bostwick was mentored by the Tony Award-winning actor-director Ellis Rabb when Barry was a young actor in New York in the late '60s with the APA-Phoenix Repertory Company. "Ellis was a wonderful man," said Bostwick, who made his Broadway debut with the APA-Phoenix Repertory Company in 1969 in Sean O'Casey's "Cock-a-Doodle Dandy." "Ellis even paid for my first crowns because my teeth weren't very good," Bostwick said. "He would take me around to Leonard Bernstein's apartment, and we would sit there and have a drink and some of the greats would come in and sort of chat. I was the fly on the wall. I was so fortunate." Though nearly 20 years younger than Bostwick, Michael J. Fox was also mentor to him on the award-winning 1996-2002 ABC comedy series "Spin City," in which he played the dimwitted New York City mayor to Fox's deputy mayor. Fox, he said, showed him the sit-com ropes. "He was very smart about that genre of comedy," said Bostwick. "I would watch him work and watch him suss out what the problems were. He was so smart about what worked and what didn't work.".
5
Plays "The Voice" in ads for Cablevision's "Optimum Voice" phone service. [July 2008]
6
Starred as a serial killer suspect in an episode of Cold Case (2003). Central to the episode's plot was a viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - which was one of his first successes (and most famous films). [May 2005]
7
Bostwick served as host of the nationally televised annual Capitol Fourth celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for eight years.
8
Appeared in a New York rock musical called "Salvation" in 1969.
9
Father Henry Bostwick Jr. joined Screen Actors Guild at age 79. He later died of a cerebral hemorrhage and cardiac arrest on December 7, 1999 at age 86.
10
His companion for a number of years (1980-1984) was actress Lisa Hartman.
11
His older brother, Peter, died in an automobile accident in 1973 at the age of 32.
12
MFA in Acting - New York University, Tisch School of the Arts (1968).
Won Broadway's 1977 Tony Award for Best Actor (Musical) for "The Robber Bridegroom." Was also nominated in the same category in 1972 for "Grease" and in 1976 as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) for "They Knew What They Wanted."
15
Children: Brian (May, 1995) and Chelsea (October, 1996)
16
7/97: He underwent surgery for prostate cancer. The surgery was successful.
$3 Million
