Gary Sandy

In 2004, he even opened in a Texas-styled musical version of Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Law," "Murder, She Wrote," "Diagnosis: Murder," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and had a brief regular role in 2001 on the daytime soap The Young and the Restless (1973). He then reverted back to his first love -- the theatre. Musical roles have since 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.

The show would return in syndication in 1991 but without Gary and most of the others. Gary is the perfect example of a committed and talented actor willing to persevere through good times and bad Despite a slack of offers after his big TV series success, Gary maintained for a time as a TV guest star on such shows as "L. A.

He was nominated for a 1989 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Musical for "The Music Man" at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, Illinois.

One of his finest hours on stage was in the challenging one-man 1985 production "Billy Bishop Goes to War" in which he enacted 17 roles.

This, in turn, segued into his best known character on TV, that of hunky radio program director Andy Travis in the four-season sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978). While Gary was a firm anchor and enjoyed top billing as the good-looking, 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.

A couple of small movie parts eventually led to noticeable turns on TV, especially with Norman Lear's short-lived All That Glitters (1977).

"In between his soap trysts Gary made his Broadway bow in "Saturday, Sunday, Monday" (1974), which was directed by Franco Zeffirelli of "Romeo and Juliet" film fame.

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 as assorted, often menacing -- "Another World," "Somerset" and "The Secret Storm.

Alumnus of the AADA (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Class of 1968.

Graduated from Fairmont High School, Kettering, Ohio, in 1964.

Fair, light-haired 70s and 80s TV actor Gary Sandy was born in 1945 and raised in Ohio. He attended Ohio's Wilmington College and later improved on his chances of an acting career by moving to New York City, studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.