Born on June 21, 1955 in Los Angeles, California, Leigh McCloskey was classically trained as an actor at the Juilliard School in Lincoln Center, New York. He began his professional acting career playing Billy Abbott in the original miniseries
Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) starring Nick Nolte and Peter Strauss. He went on to star in three nighttime television series:
Executive Suite (1976),
Married: The First Year (1979), and is perhaps most widely known for his role as Lucy Ewing's husband Mitch Cooper on the CBS nighttime soap opera
Dallas (1978). McCloskey was a series regular from 1980-1982, and made brief appearances in 1985 and 1988. In 1978, he married production executive Carla Reinke, and they have two daughters: Caytlyn Alexander and Brighton Aubreigh.
McCloskey starred in numerous made-for-television films and miniseries including
The Bermuda Depths (1978) with
Connie Sellecca,
Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway (1976) and its sequel
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977) in which he played the title role. He starred with Kris Kristofferson in
Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth (1993) and with his Dallas co-star
Linda Gray in
Accidental Meeting (1994). He also co-starred with Brooke Shields and Scott Glenn in the television miniseries
Gone But Not Forgotten (2005). McCloskey has also had made numerous films including
Fraternity Vacation (1985) with Tim Robbins,
Just One of the Guys (1985),
Cameron's Closet (1988), and the cult classic
Inferno (1980) directed by Dario Argento among others.
McCloskey has guest-starred on numerous television series and pilots including
Medical Center (1969),
Jake and the Fatman (1987),
Life Goes On (1989),
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993),
Star Trek: Voyager (1995),
Chicago Hope (1994),
JAG (1995),
Bones (2005) and many others. He has played villains on four sci-fi television series:
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993),
Star Trek: Voyager (1995),
Babylon 5 (1993) and
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) with
Dorothy Stratten. He has also appeared in a number of daytime soap operas, including
General Hospital (1963),
One Life to Live (1968),
The Young and the Restless (1973) and
Santa Barbara (1984).