Los Angeles [US], October 24 (ANI): Michael Gray, who played Billy Batson in the 1970s television series ‘Shazam!’, has died at the age of 75. The actor died of natural causes in Palm Desert on Friday.
Gray became popular for his role in the superhero series, which ran for three seasons from 1974 to 1976. His performance as Billy Batson also made him a familiar face among young television viewers, with the actor appearing on the covers of several teen magazines during the 1970s.
Before joining ‘Shazam!’, Gray made his television debut in 1972 with NBC’s ‘The Little People’, starring Brian Keith and Shelly Fabares. He also appeared in popular shows such as ‘The Brady Bunch’, ‘Dynasty’, ‘Marcus Welby, M.D.’, ‘Room 222’ and ‘The Flying Nun’.
Gray’s co-star John Davey remembered him as a warm and friendly person who enjoyed acting and meeting fans. Recalling his first days on the show, Davey said, “From my very first day on ‘Shazam!,’ Mike and Les Tremayne welcomed me like a king.”
“Mike was just a loving, sweet guy with a great sense of humor. He loved acting, loved doing the show and, in recent years, loved appearing at comic cons. He really enjoyed meeting and chatting with the fans. Mike was a wonderful man. I don’t think he ever stopped smiling,” he added.
Born in Chicago on September 2, 1951, Gray grew up in Miami Beach, Florida. He later moved to Los Angeles to study acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and pursue a career in entertainment.
After ‘Shazam!’ ended in 1976, Gray took a break from acting after feeling that he was being typecast. During this period, he worked in children’s theatre education and men’s fashion. He also ran a floral business with his wife, Stacy.
His career saw a renewed interest in 2012, when ‘Shazam!’ was remastered for DVD release. Gray began attending fan conventions and returned to acting, appearing in episodes of the animated series ‘Archer’ and the AMC show ‘Comic Book Men’.
In 2023, he made a brief appearance in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’, where he shared a scene with Zachary Levi’s Captain Marvel as a nod to the original television series.
Speaking to Fanboy Planet in 2012, Gray recalled how fans told him that his role had made a difference in their lives.
“I meet people everyday who say, ‘You have no idea what you did for me as a child.’ ‘You helped me get through life.’ ‘You made me the better man, or woman, that I am today,’” he said.
“And that’s a nice feeling. I didn’t know the show had that much strength and power back then,” he added.
Gray is survived by his wife, Stacy Benon Gray, whom he married in 1994, his stepchildren Ryan Cooper and Laurel Cooper, and his son-in-law Lee Barker. (ANI)
‘Shazam!’ star Michael Gray dies at 75, played Billy Batson in 1970s TV series
