G.W. Bailey's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Closer Det. Lt. Pr… St. Elsewhere Dr. Hugh Be… The Jeff Foxworthy Show Big Jim Fox… Goodnight, Beantown Albert Adde… Under Cover Director Wa…

Main Movie Roles 2004 - Home on the Range 1990 - Q & A 1989 - Police Academy 6: City Under Siege 1988 - Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach 1987 - Mannequin 1987 - Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol 1986 - Short Circuit 1985 - Rustlers' Rhapsody 1985 - Warning Sign 1985 - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment 1984 - Runaway 1984 - Police Academy 1979 - A Force of One

BIOGRAPHY:

George William "G. W." Bailey (born August 27, 1944) is a stage, television and film actor. Although he appeared in many dramatic roles, he may be best remembered for his "crusty" comedic characters such as Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo in M*A*S*H (TV-Series 1979 - 1983); Lieutenant—and later, Captain—Thaddeus Harris in Police Academy (1984–1994), and Captain Felix Maxwell in Mannequin (1987). 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)

Bailey was born in Port Arthur, Texas. He went to Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur with Janis Joplin and Jimmy Johnson. In the summer of 1961, Bailey had a fight with Joplin at a friend's house that resulted in a large, valuable ornament getting broken.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 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,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

Selected 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)
Warning Sign (1985)
Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985)
Short Circuit (1986)
Mannequin (1987)
Burglar (1987)
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)
Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988)
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989)
Dead Before Dawn (1993) (TV)
Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994)
Murder She Wrote, Season 12 Episode 4 (1995) (TV)
The Jeff Foxworthy Show (1996–1997)
Jesus (1999)
Scorcher (2002)
Home on the Range (2004) (voice)
Nip/Tuck (2005)
The Closer (TV series 2005- )
Cake: A Wedding Story (2007)
Left Turn Yield (2007)


TRIVIA:

• _"The Closer" (2005)_ (qv) is the second series in which he and 'Anthony John Denison' (qv) have been cast members. The first was _"Under Cover" (1991)_ (qv), a series in the early 90s about the CIA.
• For the 1999-2000 school year, he is the Artist-in-Residence for Southwest Texas State University.
• Went to high school (in Port Arthur, Texas) with 'Janis Joplin' (qv).
• Originally studied law at Texas Tech, but ultimately decided to become an actor instead.
• He has a plaque on the "West Texas Hall Of Fame" which adorns the base at the feet of a statue of rock n' roll legend 'Buddy Holly' (qv) in Lubbock, Texas. The plaques commemorate all musicians and actors from Texas.
• He is the Executive Director and Board Member of the Sunshine Kids Foundation, which provides trips and activities for hundreds of young cancer patients annually.
• A member in repertory of the Actor's Theatre of Louisville in the 70s with 'Michael Gross (I)' (qv), 'Tom Atkins (I)' (qv), 'Victor Jory (I)' (qv) and many others who went on to further fame.
• Began his theatrical career as the artistic director of the Lubbock Theater Center.