~ Studied at The Beverly Hills, Playhouse with Milton Katselas. Produced and directed his first independent film "The Others" using students from the Playhouse.
~ Left the entertainment business to fly airplanes. Currently flies as a first officer on a regional jet from American Airlines.
~ Travis Fine was married to Jessica Resnick from 1993 until 1995 when they were divorced.
~ In his free time, Fine is always working at his writing: plays, screenplays and poetry.
Travis Fine was born in Atlanta, he knew he wanted to be an actor after seeing a production of Treasure Island as a kindergarten student. At seven years old, he was cast as John Henry in Member of the Wedding, and over the next seven years, Travis acted in 13 theatre productions. At age 14, he left his hometown to attend the Children's Theatre Schools in Minneapolis, where he began writing plays and then moved to Los Angeles with his father to attend Beverly Hills High. After high school graduation, Travis attended Pitzer College where he played football. Travis got a knee injury while playing football and left before the end of the season. When he got the knee injury, he made up his mind once and for all about acting. He then left college.
It was only a short time after dropping out that he got his chance to audition for a new western series called "The Young Riders". Initially, he read for the part of Cody but he "sounded just like Jed Clampet" and the part went to Stephen Baldwin. But, it's just as well, as he was cast as Ike instead, a role he made truly his own.
Travis Fine portrays gentle-natured Ike McSwain. Although he can't speak, due to a childhood trauma, Ike communicates to the other riders in broken sign, learned on his own and taught by his friend Buck (Gregg Rainwater). Ike is a gentle soul in the midst of rough circumstances and can always be relied on. As Ike McSwain on ABC's "The Young Riders", Travis Fine played the tragic victim who went through everything from Scarlet Fever, losing his hair, losing his ability to speak, being horse kicked, falling in and out of love, being shot about every third week, then losing his life. But that was Ike McSwain's life, not Travis Fine's. As the mute Ike McSwain on The Young Riders, Travis Fine uttered not a single word, communicating only through sign language his friend Buck taught him. Speech wasn't the only thing taken away from Travis. Because Ike supposedly lost all his ability to talk and his hair due to scarlet fever, Travis also had to shave his head. But even without his speech, Travis managed to capture the viewers' heart through his touching portrayal of the gentle-natured rider.
Travis Fine is one of The Young Riders who has gone on to other projects pretty successfully after the series ended in 1992. Even though Travis left the series early in 1991 when his character was killed, he has had good luck with finding work in Hollywood. He has appeared in several TV movies, miniseries, and made several guest appearances on network shows. Often times, he has had villainous roles, but at least he now has a chance to 'voice' himself.
In "They've Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping" (1993), he played one of the real-life monsters who kidnapped a busload of children and then buried them (alive!). He was a murderer in the mini-series "Cruel Doubt". Then he had the unique opportunity to portray the youngest of two brothers he went to Hollywood High School with, , although he didn't know the boy at the time because they were three years apart in age and had no classes together. The role he played? Killer Erik Menendez in a mini-series called "Menendez: A Killing In Beverly Hills."
On Valentine's Day, 1993, Travis married his wife Jessica, another former classmate with a connection to Erik Menendez (she once dated him in high school!). Travis and his wife have one child.
Since the end of The Young Riders, Travis has still been keeping busy with a few appearances here and there. In 1998, he played Weld in The Thin Red Line and Girl, Interrupted in 1999. Travis appeared in the CBS mini-series, "Shake, Rattle & Roll".
Since 2000, Travis has appeared in We Married Margo, Jack the Dog and Tomcats.
If you are also lucky enough to find a rare gem in an obscure video store, you might want to check out The Others (1997), which Travis wrote and directed.
Back in Los Angeles, he formed the acting group called The Hostage Theater Company with several fellow thespians. Unlike his other co-stars on the The Young Riders, Travis pursued roles on made-for-TV movies rather than on features. Some of television credits include 1995's Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge and They've Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping. He also played Erik Menendez in Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills. Travis has reportedly quit acting and is now a flight instructor in California.
He resides in Los Angeles.
TV: Pre Young Riders
A Time For Miracles, 1980
TV: Post Young Riders
Cruel Doubt, 1992
They've Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping, 1993
Menendex: A Killing in Beverly Hills, 1994
Naomis & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge, 1995
My Antonia, 1995
Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story, 1999
TV: Guest Appearances
JAG, Episode: Heroes, as a bad guy Navy Seal, January 24, 1997
Movies
Child's Play 3, 1991
The Others, 1997
The Thin Red Line, 1998
Girl Interrupted, 1999
Jack The Dog, 2000
Tomcats, 2001
Behind Enemy Lines, 2001
Directing and Writing
Whisper in My Ear, 1994
Two Shows Daily, 1994
10:18, 1995
The Others, 1997
The Ride, 1999
