Terry Ray is a native of Ohio who began his acting career at the age of 18, co-starring with Patricia Heaton in a production where he played a singing Chinese cook masquerading as a Native American. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati & Conservatory with a degree in Theatre Arts, Terry interned at Playhouse on the Square and performed in several regional theaters before settling in Los Angeles.
Terry has appeared in over 110 plays, sharing the stage with notable stars such as Dixie Carter, Elaine Stritch, and Matthew Perry. In 1987, he made a memorable appearance on the game show Scrabble, which led to an outburst of fan mail and recognition as one of the greatest gay moments in game show history.
Terry's professional writing career began with the stage performance "Hollywood Goes Classical" at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, starring Mickey Rooney, Michael York, Dean Jones, and Rhonda Fleming. He went on to write and star in two more shows at the DCP, one co-starring Amanda Bynes and the other Hilary Duff.
As a filmmaker, Terry co-wrote and starred in the short film "Gaydar," which won numerous awards and was selected as one of the top 20 short comedy films of all time. He also created the popular Gaydar Gun toy, which he voices. Terry's next short film, "Cost Of Living," won the Boston International Film Festival's Best Male Actor award.
Terry is the creator, writer, and star of the gay cable channel HERE! TV's first sitcom "From Here on OUT," which also stars Juliet Mills, T.J. Hoban, Suzanne Whang, and Julie Brown. He co-created and produced the new game show "Modd Couples" on Hulu and co-wrote the TV movie "Love Unplugged" starring Mischa Barton, David Ogden Stiers, and Markie Post.
Terry has also written and starred in the digital series "My Sister Is So Gay" alongside Loni Anderson, Debra Wilson, Tilky Jones, and Rae Dawn Chong. He co-wrote and starred in the series "She's Still on That Freakin' Island" with Dawn Wells, spoofing her classic sitcom. Terry's series "TV Therapy" features him as a therapist, with each episode featuring a different classic TV character, played by the original actor, with modern-day issues.
Terry's work as a playwright, "Electricity," premiered to rave reviews in Los Angeles and was held over for an 11-week run. It then began a record-breaking nearly 4-year run in Palm Springs, Columbus, and the Twin Cities, where it was named one of the 5 Best Out of Town Shows in Minneapolis for the 2018 year, alongside "Hamilton." "Electricity" is soon headed for an Off-Broadway run.
Terry Ray teaches acting and founded the Palm Springs branch of The Actor's Lab.
