James Joseph Baio (born March 15, 1962) is an American actor. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He is the cousin of actor Scott Baio as well as Vampire Weekend band member Chris Baio.
Baio first appeared onscreen in 1975 at age 13. He made guest appearances on series such as The Facts of Life, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat, but his best known role was probably as Billy Tate on the comedy series Soap (1977–81).
Baio’s other credits include Matlock, Trapper John, M.D., Matt Houston, Too Close for Comfort and Family Feud. Baio, along with Susan Richardson, participated in the Junior Pyramid special of The $20,000 Pyramid in 1979. He also appeared in the comedy movie The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) as Carmen Ronzonni.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Ellery Queen | Graffiti Artist | Episode: “Too Many Suspects” |
| 1975–76 | Joe and Sons | Nick Vitale | Main cast (12 episodes) |
| 1976 | The Love Boat | Arnold Merritt | Television film |
| 1977 | The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training | Carmen Ronzonni | Feature film |
| 1977–81 | Soap | Billy Tate | Main cast (63 episodes) |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Norman | Episode: “Rocky/Julie’s Dilemma/Who’s Who?” |
| 1979 | Fantasy Island | Willie Collins | Episode: “Amusement Park/Rock Stars” |
| 1981 | Fantasy Island | Jimmy Blair | Episode: “The Lady and the Monster/The Last Cowboy” |
| 1982 | The Facts of Life | Buzz Ryan | Episodes: “The Academy”, “The Big Fight” |
| 1983 | Matt Houston | Jeb Harmon | Episode: “The Yacht Club Murders” |
| 1983 | Trapper John, M.D. | Jed | Episode: “South Side Story” |
| 1983 | Too Close for Comfort | Freddy Garibaldi | Episode: “Family Business” |
| 1985 | Brass | Tony Covello | Television film |
| 1986 | Playing for Keeps | Steinberg | Feature film |
| 1987 | Matlock | Mark Williams | Episode: “The Rat Pack” |
| 1991 | Kiss and Be Killed | Robert | Feature film |
| 1996 | The Mirror Has Two Faces | Jimmy the Waiter | Feature film |
