John Gary Yurosek, better known as Gary Lockwood, was born in Van Nuys, California, to John and Margaret Emma (Kiel) Yurosek. He was a talented individual who was awarded a football scholarship to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Before pursuing a career in acting, Lockwood worked as a movie stuntman and a stand-in for Anthony Perkins. He made his acting debut in 1959 with an uncredited role in the film Warlock, followed by an appearance as a police officer in The Case of the Romantic Rogue.
Lockwood's early career was marked by a string of television appearances, including roles in the ABC series Follow the Sun, Cherie, and Kraft Mystery Theater. He also starred alongside Lloyd Bridges in the 1963 film My Daddy Can Lick Your Daddy.
In 1964, Lockwood landed the lead role in the NBC series The Lieutenant, playing a young U.S. Marine lieutenant. He then went on to star in another NBC series, Kraft Mystery Theater, opposite Sally Kellerman.
In 1966, Lockwood appeared in the episode "Reunion" of ABC's The Legend of Jesse James, as well as the episode "Day of Thunder" of NBC's The Long, Hot Summer. He also guest-starred in the two-part episode "The Raid" of CBS's Gunsmoke, playing the role of Jim Stark.
Lockwood's most notable role was perhaps as Dr. Frank Poole in director Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968. He co-starred with Stefanie Powers in the episode "Love and the Phone Booth/Love and the Doorknob" of ABC's Love, American Style, and made a guest appearance as Alex Carmen in the Hart to Hart episode "Emily by Hart" in 1983.
Throughout his career, Lockwood had roles in over forty theatrical and made-for-TV features and made almost eighty TV guest appearances, including several as a villain on CBS-TV's Barnaby Jones.
