Gary Lee Sandy (born December 25, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for playing program director

Andy Travis Andy Travis is a fictional character on the television situation comedy ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82). He was played by Gary Sandy. Travis was originally intended to be the lead character, the more-or-less normal person who would anchor t ...

on the television

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working ...

'' (1978-1982).

Early life and education

Sandy was born in

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, the son of Austin and Dolores Sandy. He attended Fairmont High School in

Kettering, Ohio Kettering is a city in Montgomery county in the U.S. state of Ohio. Almost entirely in Montgomery County, it is an inner suburb of Dayton, Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 57,862 (down slightly from 58,453 in 2010), ma ...

, and lived in Moraine, Ohio. He later attended Wilmington College in

Wilmington, Ohio Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,660 at the 2020 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" ...

, and the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Television

Sandy's early TV career included appearances on several soap operas in the early 1970s, and a number of appearances as a guest on shows including '' Medical Center'', '' Barnaby Jones'', and ''

Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...

''. Sandy's most notable role was as

, the new program director at a struggling radio station on the CBS sitcom ''

''. The idea for the show was based on the real experiences of several people who had worked in the industry, including creator Hugh Wilson.

Theater

In 1982, he replaced

Kevin Kline Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award and three Tony Awards. In addition, he has received nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five ...

as The Pirate King on Broadway in '' The Pirates of Penzance''. In 1986, he replaced Tony Roberts as Mortimer Brewster in the fiftieth anniversary production of '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' opposite Jean Stapleton and

Marion Ross Marion Ross (born Marian Ellen Ross; October 25, 1928) is a American former actress. Her best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom '' Happy Days'', on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and for which she recei ...

, and continued the role in the North American tour. Beginning in 2001, he starred opposite

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...

in a stage production of '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'', which toured for two years. He continues to perform in regional theater and has performed such roles as Elliot Garfield in '' The Goodbye Girl'' and Mike Hammer. He has said that it bothers him being known for a '70s TV show.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sandy, Gary 1945 births American male film actors American male soap opera actors American male stage actors American male television actors Living people Male actors from Dayton, Ohio Wilmington College (Ohio) alumni 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni People from Montgomery County, Ohio