Gary Sandy

Birthday

Dec 25, 1945

Birthplace

Dayton, Ohio, USA

Bio: Widely beloved by television viewers for his memorable stint on the popular late-'70s sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, longtime actor Gary Sandy has had a rich career both before and after the show that found him nationwide fame. From stage to screen and virtually everything in between, Sandy proved equally adept at comedy, drama, and even musicals. Born in Dayton, OH,… More Bio: Widely beloved by television viewers for his memorable stint on the popular late-'70s sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, longtime actor Gary Sandy has had a rich career both before and after the show that found him nationwide fame. From stage to screen and virtually everything in between, Sandy proved equally adept at comedy, drama, and even musicals. Born in Dayton, OH, in 1945, Sandy discovered his love of acting early in life. Attending Wilmington College in Ohio before pursuing his dreams at New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts, a role on the long-running soap opera As the World Turns gave Sandy his first chance to shine in a role created specifically for him. Villainous roles in such daytime dramas as Somerset and Another World quickly followed, and, in 1971, Sandy made his feature debut in the social drama Some of My Best Friends Are.... Simultaneously finding off-Broadway success in such productions as The Children's Mass, it was only a matter of time before the bright lights of Broadway came calling and Sandy was cast in the Franco Zeffirelli-directed production of Saturday, Sunday, Monday. In the following years, Sandy belted out tunes in such plays-turned-Broadway musicals as Sheba (from Come Back, Little Sheba), Luv, and Windy City (from The Front Page). It was during this time that roles in such small-screen features as Shell Game and The Kansas City Massacre found him increasingly recognizable to audiences nationwide. In 1978, he was cast in the role of station manager Andy Travis in the classic sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. As with many sitcom stars, the role would ultimately make it difficult for him to find work due to people associating Sandy too closely with his television counterpart when the show ended a successful four-year run in 1982. But two things that separated him from the pack: his talents on the stage and his marked determination to break the curse of typecasting. While subsequent appearances on Murder, She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, and Martial Law found Sandy continuing on the small screen, feature roles in such efforts as the Oscar-nominated The Insider and a coast-to-coast tour of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas found the dedicated actor remaining in the public eye while staying true to his craft. In 2004, Sandy was featured in the television family drama Til' the River Runs Dry. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi