Gail was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Mary Elizabeth (née Scanlon) and Maxwell Trowbridge Gail, a businessman,[1] and raised in Grosse Ile, Michigan. He has a twin sister, actress Mary Gail,[citation needed] and another sister, Emily T. Gail.[3]
Gail is best known for his television role as Det. Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz in the sitcomBarney Miller (1975–1982). Gail's best-known feature film role is in D.C. Cab (1983) as Harold, the owner of the D.C. Cab taxi company. He directed several episodes of Barney Miller as Maxwell Gail.
In 1984, Gail was featured in the monodramaThe Babe on Broadway. This stage play was filmed and later featured on PBS. Gail has starred in other TV series, including Whiz Kids (1983) as Llewellan Farley Jr., an investigative reporter who is friends with a group of teenaged computer hackers. He worked on the short-lived Normal Life (1990). He has appeared on the TV series Sons & Daughters (2006).
In 2015, Gail was nominated as Best Actor for his role in the short film In Memory at the Los Angeles International Film Festival.[5]
Gail stepped into the recast role of Mike Corbin on General Hospital. He debuted on February 5, 2018, and went on to win the 2019 and 2021[6] Daytime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[7]
Personal life
Gail's first wife, Willie Bier, died of cancer in 1986 after three years of marriage. The experience inspired Gail to be the narrator of the alternative medicine film documentary Hoxsey: When Healing Becomes a Crime (1988). They have a daughter, India.
His second wife, Nan, and he have two children, Maxwell and Grace.[citation needed] They separated amicably in 2000.
He has been in a relationship with Chris Kaul since 2007.
Gail's daughter Grace Gail, who later became a model, married actor Adam Rodriguez in 2016. They have three children, including son Bridgemont Bernard Rodriguez who was born on March 16, 2020.