Douglas Barr

Before Hollywood came calling, Douglas Barr was a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who began his collegiate studies at the University of Northern Colorado. It was the turbulent 1960s, and Barr felt somewhat removed from the cultural and political upheaval sweeping the country. Seeking a more engaged environment, he transferred to The George Washington University, where he experienced firsthand the height of the Vietnam War protests in the nation’s capital.

Barr graduated from GW in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He then spent several years in New York and London working as a model—an industry he says he “accidentally fell into.” It proved to be a fortunate accident, as it was during this time that he met his future wife, Clare Kirkconnell, who was also modeling.

Modeling soon led to acting opportunities, and in the early 1980s Barr relocated to Los Angeles, where he landed starring roles in two television series. He is best known for his five-season run as Howie Munson on the hit action series The Fall Guy, playing the loyal partner to Lee Majors’ Colt Seavers as they took on crime and bad guys week after week. Following that success, Barr starred as Alex Jagger in the short-lived CBS series The Wizard (1986–1987) and later played Charlene Frazier’s hunky boyfriend, Colonel Bill Stillfield, on Designing Women for two seasons, through 1991.

Throughout this period, Barr also made numerous guest appearances on popular series including The Love Boat, Hotel, Fantasy Island, and Murder, She Wrote, along with appearances on more than a dozen other television shows.

Barr’s feature film debut came with the horror film Deadly Blessing (1981), followed by another horror project, The Unseen. His final on-screen film role was in the erotic thriller Temptation (1994).

During breaks from acting, Barr began writing screenplays, a creative shift that naturally led him to directing. Since 1994, he has directed more than 30 films, working with acclaimed actors such as Louis Gossett Jr., Rosanna Arquette, Bradley Whitford, and Olympia Dukakis.

His transition behind the camera coincided with a lifestyle change as well. Barr and his wife moved to Napa Valley, where in 1998 they founded Hollywood and Vine Cellars, a boutique, high-end winery. Now retired from both show business and winemaking, Doug serves on the board of directors for the Saint Helena Forum, an educational nonprofit dedicated to innovation and creativity throughout Napa Valley—a role he finds deeply rewarding.