Gerrit Graham was born on November 27, 1949, in the vibrant city of New York, where he spent his early years before moving to St. Louis, Missouri, and later to Chicago, Illinois, and Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where he developed a diverse upbringing.
As a young boy, Gerrit made his acting debut at the tender age of eight in a Detroit Art Institute stage production of "Winnie the Pooh", showcasing his early talent.
Throughout his high school years, Gerrit was an active member of the dramatic association, serving as its president, and later, as the general manager of the Columbia Players while studying at Columbia University.
Gerrit's cinematic career began with acting roles in movies directed by Brian De Palma, including his impressive film debut as Lloyd Clay, a paranoid conspiracy nut, in "Greetings" (1968),and his hilarious performance as Beef, a flamboyant rock star, in "Phantom of the Paradise" (1974).
Graham's notable comic roles include Perman Waters, a no-talent aspiring country singer, in "Cannonball!" (1976),Magic Ray, a hippie commune leader, in "Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw" (1976),Jeff, a sleazy used car salesman, in the uproarious "Used Cars" (1980),Bob Spinnaker, a snobby character, in "Class Reunion" (1982),and Rodzinski, a leering character, in "The Creature Wasn't Nice" (1981).
In addition to his comedic roles, Gerrit has demonstrated his range and versatility in occasional serious parts, such as Walter Gabler, a computer nerd, in "Demon Seed" (1977),Highpockets, Susan Sarandon's abusive boyfriend, in "Pretty Baby" (1978),Ray Stark, a tough Vietnam veteran, in "The Annihilators" (1985),and Phil Simpson, a jerky foster father, in "Child's Play 2" (1990).
Gerrit has also made numerous guest appearances on various TV shows, including "Baretta" (1975),"Starsky and Hutch" (1975),"Laverne & Shirley" (1976),"The A-Team" (1983),"Fame" (1982),"St. Elsewhere" (1982),"Miami Vice" (1984),"Dallas" (1978),"The Wonder Years" (1988),"Seinfeld" (1989),"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993),"Babylon 5" (1993),"The Larry Sanders Show" (1992),"Star Trek: Voyager" (1995),"Law & Order" (1990),and "Third Watch" (1999).
Gerrit had a recurring role on the TV show "The Critic" (1994) and wrote three episodes of the 1980s revival of "The Twilight Zone" (1985),as well as acting in the "Welcome to Winfield/Quarantine" (1986) episode of the same show.
On stage, Gerrit has performed improvisational comedy sketches with Chicago's Second City troupe and worked with improvisational director Paul Sills in Chicago as a member of Sills' Story Theatre ensemble.
Gerrit has also written several songs with Bob Weir, including the lyrics for the Grateful Dead tune "Victim or the Crime". Additionally, he wrote additional dialogue and provided additional voices for the hit Disney animated picture "The Little Mermaid" (1989) and co-wrote the screenplay for the cartoon short "The Prince and the Pauper" (1990).
Gerrit is the proud father of two sons, Jack and Henry.
