G. W. Bailey

Infobox actor
name = G. W. Bailey

---

caption = George W. Bailey as "Captain Harris" in
Police Academy
birthdate = birth date and age|1944|8|27
birthplace = Port Arthur, Texas U.S.
occupation = Film, television, stage actor
yearsactive = 1974 - Present

George W. Bailey (born August 27, 1944 in Port Arthur, Texas) is a veteran stage, television and film actor. Although he appeared in many dramatic roles, he may be best remembered for his "crusty" comedic characters such as Captain Thaddeus Harris in "Police Academy" (1984–1994), Captain Felix Maxwell in "Mannequin" (1987) and Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo in "M*A*S*H" (TV-Series 1979 - 1983). He currently stars on the TNT series "The Closer" (he has known "Closer" creator James Duff since 1972, when he was his high-school instructor in Lubbock, Texas and has also known co-star Tony Denison for several years). [ [http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2007/08/27/1A_CLOSER.ART_ART_08-27-07_D1_8L7MT0B.html?sid=101 The Columbus Dispatch : Shifting tone keeps 'Closer' fans tuning in ] ] Bailey has a very distinctive appearance, and, having gone prematurely grey in his 30s, has appeared essentially the same age since the 1970s. As a result, he has portrayed older characters than himself in most of his 1980s roles.

Biography

Bailey went to Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur with Janis Joplin and Jimmy Johnson. He started college at Lamar University in nearby Beaumont and transferred to Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He left college and spent the mid-1960s working at local theater companies before moving to California in the mid-1970s, where he landed roles on television programs of the day such as "Starsky and Hutch" and "Charlie's Angels".

His movie debut was in " A Force of One" (1979), an early Chuck Norris film. He then got his breakout role as Rizzo in "M*A*S*H".

He returned to college in 1993, attending Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He graduated in May of 1994 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts, Theatre. For the 1999–2000 school year, he was the Artist-in-Residence.

Since 2001, Bailey has served as the Executive Director of the Sunshine Kids Foundation [http://www.sunshinekids.org/who-we-are/staff.htm The Sunshine Kids Foundation staff] ] , which provides trips and activities for hundreds of young cancer patients annually. He has volunteered for over fifteen years since being introduced to the organization by his goddaughter, who was diagnosed with leukemia.

elected filmography

* "A Force of One" (1979)
* "M*A*S*H" (1979–1983)
* "Murder in Texas" (1981) (TV)
* "St. Elsewhere" (1982–1983)
* "Police Academy" (1984)
* "Runaway" (1984)
* "Rustlers' Rhapsody" (1985)
* "Short Circuit" (1986)
* "Mannequin" (1987)
* "Burglar" (1987)
* "" (1987)
* "" (1988)
* "" (1989)
* "Dead Before Dawn" (1993) (TV)
* "" (1994)
* "The Jeff Foxworthy Show" (1996-1997)
* "Jesus" (1999)
* "Scorcher" (2002)
* "Home on the Range" (2004) (voice)
* "The Closer" (TV series 2005- )
* "" (2007)

References

External links

*imdb|0047265
*amg name|2:3287
* [http://www.sunshinekids.org/ The Sunshine Kids]
* [http://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/Content/Personalities/Notable_People/G.W._Bailey G.W. Bailey - Museum of the Gulf Coast, Port Arthur, TX]