Due to his interest in acting, he attained an extra role in the Charles Bronson vehicle Hard Times (1975). There he met veteran character actor Strother Martin, who became a mentor for Gainey.
With a face like this, there aren't a lot of lawyers or priest roles
coming my way. I've gotta face that was meant for a mug shot and that's
what I've been doing for the past thirty years. If I play a cop, it's
always a racist cop, or a trigger-happy cop or a crooked cop - but by
and large I play cowboys, bikers, and convicts.
