George William “G.W” Bailey (b. 1944) is a popular movie and television actor from Lubbock, Texas.
Born in Port Arthur, Bailey attended Thomas Jefferson High School with Janis Joplin and Jimmy Johnson. After starting college at Lamar University in Beaumont, he transferred to Texas Tech University. Bailey left college for a period in the 1960s, working at local theater companies before moving to California in the 1970s. During his time in California, he played a minor, recurring role in Harry O (1973-1976), before landing parts in Starsky and Hutch (1975-1979) and Charlie’s Angels (1976-1981). His filmography includes the Police Academy films (1984-1994) as Thaddeus Harris and Mannequin (1987) as Captain Felix Maxwell. He has also starred in iconic roles in TV shows like M*A*S*H as Sgt. Luther Rizzo, TNT’s series, The Closer, as Detective Lt. Louie Provenza, and its spinoff series Major Crimes (2005-2018). His current work includes his position from 2001-2009 as Executive Director of the Sunshine Kids Foundation, which organizes annual trips and activities for young cancer patients.
G.W. Bailey was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in 1985.
