Biography

Biography

Gregory Harrison has a career as diverse and exiciting as the actor himself - and he shows no signs of slowing down. He was born May 31, 1950 in Avalon on Catalina Island off the Southern Californian coast. After Graduation in 1968 he served from 1969 to 1971 as a medic in the Army, where he was stationed in Germany. Upon returning to California he started pursuing a career as a singer/songwriter and as an actor. The former seems to not have gotten off the ground - though he has starred in several musicals since -, the latter on the other hand all the better - in 1977 Harrison landed the title role in the television series Logan's Run. 
He remembers the show fondly, if modestly. "I was just an actor looking for a steady job, and was thrilled that I was doing science fiction. It was a venue I appreciated and enjoyed. I was glad to have my own series ... and I knew my career was going the right direction. I feel we have an A for effort and C for the show itself, for how it succeeded." Not soon after the cancelation, in 1978, he starred as Levi Zendt in the Mini-Series "Centennial" based on the book by James Michener. 'Centennial' not only starred Richard Chamberlain, Robert Conrad, Pernell Roberts, Richard Crenna, and Brian Keith, but also Stephanie Zimbalist, with whom Harrison already had starred in the critically acclaimed 'The Gathering' in 1977 and would later, in 1991, star in the TV-movie 'Breaking the Silence'.

Harrison finally came to national prominence in 1979 starring as the handsome and brazen Dr. Gonzo Gates on the long-running series "Trapper John, M.D.". He directed eight of the later episodes of the show, but halfway through it's seventh and final season he left it. He did do several TV movies while still on the series, including "For Ladies only" (which went on to become one of the top-grossing videos of all time) and after leaving he has worked steadily, on TV, the stage as well as in features. 

Always seeking new challenges, Gregory has developed and produced more than two dozen Movies-of-the-Week under the aegis of Catalina Productions, which he formed with Franklin R. Levy in 1980. They subsequently also produced numerous stage projects. His Catalina Productions also funded and operated the Coast Playhouse in Los Angeles from 1982-93, during which time its 60 productions garnered more than 150 LA theater awards. E.g. in 1982 for "The Hasty Heart", which won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award as Best Production for Catalina and as Best Actor for Harrison and "Picnic," where he won a Dramalogue Award. And in 1992, Gregory was honored with the Ovation Award for Outstanding Contribution to Los Angeles Theater. In addition to that, he has directed several series episodes and been second-unit director on two features.
Aside from producing and the stage he also kept very busy with TV and features. Then in 1997 he (finally) made his debut on Broadway, in the Musical "Steel Pier". For the role was Mick Hamilton he was nominated as Best Actor in a Musical by the Outer Critics Circle. Beginning April 2001 he will return to Broadway, as 'Ben' in "Follies".

In 1999 he starred with Muriel Hemingway in the TBS original movie "First Daughter", which became the highest-rated basic-cable movie ever. He reprised his role as President Jonathan Hayes in  "First Target", opposite Daryl Hannah on TBS. Last he could also have been seen on the TV-series "Ed" and as a guest-star on "Judging Amy" and "Strong Medicine". 

In 1981 Harrison married former "CHiPs"'s actress Randi Oakes and the couple has four children, three girls and a boy. Harrison is an avid surfer. He claims to have ridden the waves of every surfable ocean on almost every continent in the world. He is also one of the original members of the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization that works to protect the coast that was founded in 1984.  He also enjoys swimming, kayaking and enjoys golf, but after thirty-six years of chasing waves aroundthe world, surfing remains a passion.

For the most comprehensive biography on the net - please go here.