70s actor Gary Sandy was born and raised in Ohio. He attended Ohio's Wilmington College and later improved on his chances by moving to New York City, studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. While there he made his professional debut in 1970 with a soap opera part written especially for him. Following his short stint on "As The World Turns," he visited a number of soap sets during a seven-year period and played various characters, often menacing, on "Another World," "Somerset" and "The Secret Storm." In between he made his Broadway bow in "Saturday, Sunday, Monday" (1974), which was directed by Franco Zeffirelli of "Romeo and Juliet" film fame. A couple of small movie parts eventually led to some noticeable turns on TV, especially with Norman Lear's short-lived "All That Glitters" in 1977. This, in turn, led to his best known character on TV, that of radio program director Andy Travis in the four-season sitcom "W.K.R.P. in Cincinnati." Despite Gary having the All-American 'nice guy' lead, he was frequently overshadowed by his flashy supporting cast, which included 'hip' DJ Howard Hesseman and blonde bombshell Loni Anderson. The show would return in syndication in 1991 but without Gary and most of the others. Despite a slimness of offers, Gary maintained for a time as a TV guest star, then reverted back to his first love -- the theatre. Musical roles have ranged from the slick and preening (The Pirate King in Broadway's "The Pirates of Penzance" and Billy Flynn in "Chicago") to playing the down-home charmer (Harold Hill in "The Music Man" and Will Rogers in "Will Rogers Follies." During this time Gary also appeared in a few musical misfires based on critically successful plays. "Sheba," the musical adaptation of Come Back Little Sheba, and "Windy City" based on The Front Page, went nowhere. Also mixed in have been straight comedy and drama, essaying roles in classic Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill. Seen here and there on camera these days including more recently the horror film Mommy 2 with Patty McCormack, Gary is the perfect example of an actor willing to persever through good times and bad, closely moving in on his fourth decade of performing.
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