Barry Gordon

Nuttin' For Christmas

Born 21 December 1948, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA, A precocious Barry Gordon began his professional life at the age of three as a child singer and actor. At six, he recorded "Nuttin' for Christmas," it toped at sixth place on the charts, still listed as one of the top ten best-selling Christmas records of all time.

His first television appearance came at the age of three, followed by numerous other guest slots on programmes hosted by stars such as Jackie Gleason. MGM Records signed Gordon to sing the "Christmas Song", written by Sid Tepper and Roy Bennett, which quickly reached the Top 10. Within weeks cover versions were released by such artists as Stan Freberg, Homer And Jethro, Fontane Sisters and Joe Ward, who reached number 20 with his version. Gordon placed only one other single in the charts, another novelty tune called "Rock Around Mother Goose", in 1956. He went on to act on television and the stage and was still active in those areas in the mid-80s.

When he was thirteen, his Broadway debut in Herb Gardner's "A Thousand Clowns" earned him a Tony nomination for the role of Nick, a role he reprised in the successful film version.

He became a fixture as a character actor in feature films and television, most prominently as a co-star in the hit series "Fish" and playing opposite Carroll O'Connor as the lawyer Rabinowitz in "Archie Bunker's Place." His voice has been heard for decades as the Nestle Quik Bunny and as Donatello in the original animated series, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

Outside of show business, his interests moved into law and politics. In his mid-thirties, he returned to school, graduated summa cum laude as a political science major from California State University, Los Angeles, and went on to Loyola Law School, receiving his J.D. in 1991.

Putting his love of show business and law together, he became active in the Screen Actors Guild, and became the longest-serving President in its history, holding the office for seven years (one year longer than either Charlton Heston or Ronald Reagan).

In 1998, he was the Democratic nominee for Congress and came within three points of beating the popular Republican incumbent, Rep. James Rogan, who went on to become one of the House's impeachment managers and subsequently lost his seat.

Currently, Gordon has been concentrating his energies on developing a mediation practice focused on resolving entertainment and employment disputes. He continues to act, practice law occasionally, and provide political commentary and discussion on local television.

He is developing a political talk show pilot with none other than Susan Carpenter MacMillan as his co-host.