Barry Bostwick
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tall (6' 4"), agile, energetic, and ever-so-confident as both actor and
singer, especially on the award-winning Broadway stage, Barry Bostwick
possesses that certain narcissistic poise, charm and élan that reminds
one instantly (and humorously) of a
Kevin Kline -- both were quite brilliant in
their respective interpretations of The Pirate King in "The Pirates of
Penzance". Yet, for all his diverse talents (he is a Golden Globe
winner and was nominated for the Tony Award three times, winning once),
Barry is indelibly caught in a time warp. Even today, 35 years after
the fact, he is indelibly associated with the role of nerdy hero Brad
Majors in the midnight movie phenomena
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
While it is extremely flattering to be a part of such a cult
institution, Barry's acting legacy deserves much more than this.
He was born Barry Knapp Bostwick on February 24, 1945, in San Mateo,
California, one of two sons of Elizabeth "Betty" (Defendorf) and Bud Bostwick (Henry Bostwick), a city
planner and actor. A student at San Mateo High School, he and
his elder brother Peter use to put on musicals and puppet shows for the
neighborhood kids. Barry attended San Diego's United States
International University's School for the Performing Arts in 1967, and
switched from music to drama during the course of his studies. He also
worked occasionally as a circus performer, which would come in handy on
the musical stage down the line. He subsequently moved to New York and
attended the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at New York
University.
Making his stage debut at age 22 in a production of "Take Her, She's
Mine," Barry performed in a number of non-musical roles in such
productions of "War and Peace" (1968) and "The Misanthrope (1968).
Making his 1969 Broadway debut in "Cock-a-Doodle Dandy", which ran in
tandem with "Hamlet" in which he was featured as Osric, it was his
portrayal of the swaggering, leather jacket-wearing 50s "bad boy" Danny
Zuko in the 1972 Broadway high-school musical smash "Grease" that put
Barry's name prominently and permanently on the marquee signs.
Originating the role, he was nominated for a Tony but lost out that
year to the older generation (Phil Silvers
for "A Funny Thing Happened...").
In the midst of all this star-making hoopla, Barry was also breaking
into films with a minor role in
Jennifer on My Mind (1971)
and leading parts in the comedy spoofs
Road Movie (1973) and
The Wrong Damn Film (1975).
It all paled after winning the role as
Susan Sarandon's simp of a boyfriend in
the
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975),
which featured a delicious Tim Curry
camping it up as a transvestite monster-maker. The movie, based on the
macabre 1973 British stage musical "The Rocky Horror Show," packed the
midnight movie houses with costumed fans replicating every move and,
word and offering puns and props aplenty in recapturing the insanity of
the show.
While the "Rocky" association hit like a tornado, Barry ventured on and
tried to distance himself. He created sparks again on Broadway,
garnering a second Tony nomination for the comedy revival "They Knew
What They Wanted" in 1976. He finally took home the trophy the
following year for the musical "The Robber Bridegroom" (1977), which
relied again on his patented bluff and bravado as a Robin Hood-like
hero. Following top roles in the musicals "She Loves Me" and "The
Pirates of Penzance", Barry turned rewardingly to film and TV.
The two-part feature
Movie Movie (1978), which played like
an old-style double feature, was a great success, performing alongside
esteemed actor George C. Scott. Barry
excelled in both features, but especially the musical parody. He fared
just as well on the smaller screen in TV movies, playing everything
from historical icons (George Washington) to preening matinée idols
(John Gilbert), and winning a Golden Globe for his role as a military
officer in the epic miniseries
War and Remembrance (1988).
A variety of interesting roles followed in glossy, soap-styled fare,
farcical comedies and period drama.
A welcomed return to Broadway musicals in the form of "Nick & Nora" (he
as sleuth Nick "The Thin Man" Charles) was marred when the glitzy
production folded after only nine perfs. Instead, the prematurely
grey-haired actor found steadier success in sitcoms as a smug comedy
foil to Michael J. Fox playing
Mayor Randall Winston for six seasons in
Spin City (1996). He later enjoyed
a recurring role as a dauntless attorney on
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).
Then again, Barry could be spotted pitching items in commercials or
hamming it up in family-oriented Disneyesque entertainment in the
"Parent Trap" and "101 Dalmatian" mold.
In 1997, Bostwick was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 10 days later
had his prostate removed. The operation was successful and in 2004, he
won the Gilda Radner Courage Award from the Roswell Park Cancer
Institute. Just a year earlier he appeared on an episode of "Scrubs" as
a patient also having prostate cancer. Barry married somewhat late in
life. For a brief time he was wed to actress
Stacey Nelkin (1987-1991), but has since
become a father of two, Brian and Chelsea, with second wife
Sherri Jensen Bostwick, an actress who appeared
with Barry in the TV movie
Praying Mantis (1993).
singer, especially on the award-winning Broadway stage, Barry Bostwick
possesses that certain narcissistic poise, charm and élan that reminds
one instantly (and humorously) of a
Kevin Kline -- both were quite brilliant in
their respective interpretations of The Pirate King in "The Pirates of
Penzance". Yet, for all his diverse talents (he is a Golden Globe
winner and was nominated for the Tony Award three times, winning once),
Barry is indelibly caught in a time warp. Even today, 35 years after
the fact, he is indelibly associated with the role of nerdy hero Brad
Majors in the midnight movie phenomena
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
While it is extremely flattering to be a part of such a cult
institution, Barry's acting legacy deserves much more than this.
He was born Barry Knapp Bostwick on February 24, 1945, in San Mateo,
California, one of two sons of Elizabeth "Betty" (Defendorf) and Bud Bostwick (Henry Bostwick), a city
planner and actor. A student at San Mateo High School, he and
his elder brother Peter use to put on musicals and puppet shows for the
neighborhood kids. Barry attended San Diego's United States
International University's School for the Performing Arts in 1967, and
switched from music to drama during the course of his studies. He also
worked occasionally as a circus performer, which would come in handy on
the musical stage down the line. He subsequently moved to New York and
attended the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at New York
University.
Making his stage debut at age 22 in a production of "Take Her, She's
Mine," Barry performed in a number of non-musical roles in such
productions of "War and Peace" (1968) and "The Misanthrope (1968).
Making his 1969 Broadway debut in "Cock-a-Doodle Dandy", which ran in
tandem with "Hamlet" in which he was featured as Osric, it was his
portrayal of the swaggering, leather jacket-wearing 50s "bad boy" Danny
Zuko in the 1972 Broadway high-school musical smash "Grease" that put
Barry's name prominently and permanently on the marquee signs.
Originating the role, he was nominated for a Tony but lost out that
year to the older generation (Phil Silvers
for "A Funny Thing Happened...").
In the midst of all this star-making hoopla, Barry was also breaking
into films with a minor role in
Jennifer on My Mind (1971)
and leading parts in the comedy spoofs
Road Movie (1973) and
The Wrong Damn Film (1975).
It all paled after winning the role as
Susan Sarandon's simp of a boyfriend in
the
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975),
which featured a delicious Tim Curry
camping it up as a transvestite monster-maker. The movie, based on the
macabre 1973 British stage musical "The Rocky Horror Show," packed the
midnight movie houses with costumed fans replicating every move and,
word and offering puns and props aplenty in recapturing the insanity of
the show.
While the "Rocky" association hit like a tornado, Barry ventured on and
tried to distance himself. He created sparks again on Broadway,
garnering a second Tony nomination for the comedy revival "They Knew
What They Wanted" in 1976. He finally took home the trophy the
following year for the musical "The Robber Bridegroom" (1977), which
relied again on his patented bluff and bravado as a Robin Hood-like
hero. Following top roles in the musicals "She Loves Me" and "The
Pirates of Penzance", Barry turned rewardingly to film and TV.
The two-part feature
Movie Movie (1978), which played like
an old-style double feature, was a great success, performing alongside
esteemed actor George C. Scott. Barry
excelled in both features, but especially the musical parody. He fared
just as well on the smaller screen in TV movies, playing everything
from historical icons (George Washington) to preening matinée idols
(John Gilbert), and winning a Golden Globe for his role as a military
officer in the epic miniseries
War and Remembrance (1988).
A variety of interesting roles followed in glossy, soap-styled fare,
farcical comedies and period drama.
A welcomed return to Broadway musicals in the form of "Nick & Nora" (he
as sleuth Nick "The Thin Man" Charles) was marred when the glitzy
production folded after only nine perfs. Instead, the prematurely
grey-haired actor found steadier success in sitcoms as a smug comedy
foil to Michael J. Fox playing
Mayor Randall Winston for six seasons in
Spin City (1996). He later enjoyed
a recurring role as a dauntless attorney on
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).
Then again, Barry could be spotted pitching items in commercials or
hamming it up in family-oriented Disneyesque entertainment in the
"Parent Trap" and "101 Dalmatian" mold.
In 1997, Bostwick was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 10 days later
had his prostate removed. The operation was successful and in 2004, he
won the Gilda Radner Courage Award from the Roswell Park Cancer
Institute. Just a year earlier he appeared on an episode of "Scrubs" as
a patient also having prostate cancer. Barry married somewhat late in
life. For a brief time he was wed to actress
Stacey Nelkin (1987-1991), but has since
become a father of two, Brian and Chelsea, with second wife
Sherri Jensen Bostwick, an actress who appeared
with Barry in the TV movie
Praying Mantis (1993).