Whatever Happened to Gary Sandy From ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’?

WKRP IN CINCINNATI, from left: Loni Anderson, Howard Hesseman, Gary Sandy, (1979), 1978-82. — Paul Terpanjian; Gene Trindl /TV Guide/CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection

WKRP in Cincinnati was a popular enough show during its run on CBS from 1978 to 1982, but it deserved more acclaim, more accolades, and quite frankly, to run a lot longer than it did. WKRP in Cincinnati was one of those shows that really deserves to be considered an all-time classic.

A frequent question that I’ve gotten over the past couple of years is whatever happened to Gary Sandy, who played program director Andy Travis? For many, it seems like he just disappeared, dropped off the face of the Earth. Well, I’m happy to report that nothing could be further from the truth. But before we get to Gary, first, let’s talk about WKRP in Cincinnati a bit more.

The entire cast was such a talented group of people; among my favorites are Gordon Jump (Arthur Carlson) and Jan Smithers (Bailey Quarters). But really, when I think about it, they were all my favorites, including Gary’s character. Before coming to WKRP, he had a perfect record of turning around radio stations that were struggling. But with the crazy crew at WKRP, he definitely had his hands full if he wanted to keep that streak alive.

WKRP IN CINCINNATI, from left: Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Tim Reid, Gary Sandy, 1978, (1978-1982).

Robert Phillips/Everett Collection

Before WKRP in Cincinnati, Gary learned the ropes appearing on daytime television shows, including As the World Turns and Another World. At the time, many of them were aired live, and it was in doing those old network soap operas that he fostered a love for performing in front of a live audience. Gary also found guest star gigs on shows like Medical Center, Barnaby Jones, and one of my favorites, Starsky & Hutch. And after WKRP, he continued to pay the bills by working on shows like Murder, She Wrote and L.A. Law.

Like I said a moment ago, Gary has always loved performing in front of a live crowd, so it should come as no surprise that he looked for opportunities to do live theater on Broadway whenever he could. In the early 1980s, he took over for Kevin Kline after he left Pirates of Penzance. And then he joined a bunch of television legends including for the revival of Arsenic and Old Lace in 1986. He performed in the 1992 Los Angeles production of Chicago, alongside fellow TV star Bebe Newirth.

Even more recently, Gary has been performing on stage as hard-boiled pulp fiction detective Mike Hammer. The play is staged in such a way that it is presented as a live radio production from the thirties or forties. While Gary roams the stage in character, the other actors actually perform as the radio cast in studio, bringing the drama to life.

In 2023, Gary was honored with an award from the editors of Radio Ink magazine for his influence on their industry. While appreciating the award, the ever-humble actor acknowledged that perhaps the most worthwhile recipient would have been WKRP in Cincinnati creator Hugh Wilson, who passed away in 2018. Speaking to journalist John Kiesewetter at the time, he said, “It was the writing. It was all in the writing. Hugh Wilson was a genius.”

At the end of the day, perhaps Gary says it best. When people ask him where he’s been, he simply replies, “I never went away.”