Barry Bostwick is a Tony Award winning American stage and screen actor best known for playing Brad Majors in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which he starred with Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon. He is also well known from the sitcom Sin City, where he portrayed New York Mayor Randall Winston opposite Michael J. Fox and his successor, Charlie Sheen, from 1996 to 2002. Most recently he played the father of the President in the TV series Scandal.

Bostwick has also had considerable success in musical theater. In 1972, Bostwick originated the role of bad boy Danny Zuko in the stage production of Grease, earning a Tony Award nomination for his performance. He also won a Tony Award for his performance in the 1977 musical The Robber Bridegroom. He has also had leading roles in various miniseries, including George Washington, its sequel The Forging of a Nation, Scruples, A Woman of Substance, War and Remembrance, and Till We Meet Again.

Much of Bostwick's career has been in television. In 1981, Bostwick starred in the TV series adaptation of the hit 1978 movie Foul Play, with his role modeled after Chevy Chase's, and co-starring Deborah Raffin in Goldie Hawn's part. The following year, he starred in Megaforce. Bostwick starred as Rick Armstrong in the short-lived ABC sitcom Dads during the 1986-87 season. In 2003, Bostwick appeared on Scrubs as a patient diagnosed with prostate cancer, a disease Bostwick had in real life. In 2008, he appeared in an episode of TV series Ugly Betty as an attorney to the Meade family. Since 2004, Bostwick has had a recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2006, Bostwick replaced Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler, the father of Amanda Bynes' and Jennie Garth's lead characters, on What I Like About You. In 2007, Bostwick gained a recurring role, as Grandpa Clyde Flynn on the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. Since 2009, Bostwick has had a recurring role as Roger Frank on the sitcom Cougar Town which stars Courteney Cox. In October 2010, He portrayed Collin Winthrop, father of the Gig Harbor Killer, in the season-ending CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "The End Game". Other television credits include guest appearances in Charlie's Angels, Hawaii Five-O, The Golden Palace, Grace Under Fire, and Las Vegas.

Bostwick revisited his Rocky Horror roots when he briefly appeared in the Rocky Horror-themed Glee episode and also in the Cold Case episode "Creatures of the Night", in which he is the main suspect and the theme of which revolves around The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

In June 2009 he returned to film playing Father Jimmy, the ineffective exorcist, in the independent horror comedy The Selling, written by Gabriel Diani and directed by Emily Lou. In 2015, Bostwick starred in Darren Lynn Bousman's segment of the anthology film Tales of Halloween, which is the second acting stint under Bousman after The Devil's Carnival, and appeared in the comedy horror film Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves.

Bostwick served as host of the nationally televised annual Capitol Fourth celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for eight years and is also the spokesperson for Optimum Voice.