Boyd Gaines

He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to James and Ida Gaines. His early theatre training began at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, where his talent and rich baritone voice were showcased in leading roles in plays, musicals, and opera. He attended the Juilliard School as a member of the Drama Division's Group 8 (1975–1979).Gaines has appeared in a number of films and television shows, including Fame, Frasier, L.A. Law, Law & Order, and Piece of Cake, but his most notable television role was as Mark Royer, who married Valerie Bertinelli's Barbara Cooper on TV's One Day at a Time. Gaines appeared in the final three seasons of the show. He also portrayed Coach Brackett in the 1981 movie Porky's, Lt. Ring in the 1986 film Heartbreak Ridge and Jason in The Sure Thing (1985).

Gaines is a voice actor, and is credited with recording several audiobooks.

He has appeared on the Broadway stage, in both musicals and plays, for which he has won four Tony Awards. His first Broadway play was The Heidi Chronicles in 1989. He has appeared in the musicals She Loves Me (1993), Company (1995), and Contact (2000). Other plays have included the 2010 revival of Driving Miss Daisy, The Columnist (2012), and the Broadway revival of An Enemy of the People in 2012. He appeared in the 2008 revival of Gypsy as Herbie, and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

He has appeared Off-Broadway, starting in 1978 with Spring Awakening and recently The Grand Manner by A. R. Gurney at Lincoln Center in 2010.

In regional theatre, Gaines appeared in Our Town at the George Street Playhouse, New Jersey, in April 2014.