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Gig YoungAmerican stage, film and television actor
Date of Birth: 04.11.1913
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Career
- Warner Brothers Years and Military Service
- Freelance Work and Oscar Nominations
- Oscar Win and Subsequent Decline
- Personal Life and Death
- Legacy and Honors
Early Life and Career
Byron Ellsworth Barr was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota. His family later relocated to New York City. Young's love for theater began in high school, and he later received a theater scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse. He and George Reeves, who played the lead role in L. Barringtion's play "Pancho," were spotted by representatives from Warner Brothers. Both actors signed contracts with the studio for bit parts.
Warner Brothers Years and Military Service
In his early films, Byron Barr was either uncredited or used the pseudonym Byron Barr (not to be confused with actor Byron Barr). In 1942, he had a breakthrough role as Gig Young in "The Gay Sisters," and the name became his stage name. Throughout the 1940s, Young appeared in numerous films, primarily as brothers or friends to the lead characters, gaining some recognition. In 1941, Young enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served as a medical corpsman for the duration of World War II. Upon his return, Warner Brothers terminated his contract.
Freelance Work and Oscar Nominations
Young became a freelance player at various studios, and it was during this time that he developed his signature role: the affable alcoholic, a role informed by his own experiences. His performance in this type of role in the 1951 drama "Come Fill the Cup," alongside James Cagney, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1957, he played the selfish lover of Katharine Hepburn in the comedy "Desk Set." In 1958, Young reprised his role as an alcoholic in the comedy "Teacher's Pet," with Doris Day and Clark Gable, earning another Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, this success proved bittersweet. Similar roles were offered to him, and his struggles with alcoholism intensified.
Oscar Win and Subsequent Decline
In 1969, Young won the Academy Award and Golden Globe (Best Supporting Actor) for his role as Rocky, a dance marathon host, in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" with Jane Fonda. For Young, this Oscar turned out to be a harbinger of his end; back in 1951, after his first Oscar nomination, he had said, "Not many actors who get nominated for Oscars have had the best of it afterward." In the latter years of his career, Young's alcohol abuse became more severe. As a result, he was fired from the film "Blazing Saddles." Director Mel Brooks, who had cast him for the lead role, replaced him with Gene Wilder after a few days of filming. Young's final film work was in "Game of Death" (1979), which was released six years after the death of the film's star, Bruce Lee, who died in 1973.
Personal Life and Death
Young was married five times. His first marriage to Sheila Stapler (1940-1947) lasted seven years. His second wife was Sophie Rosenstein (1950-1952), who died of cancer two years after their marriage. He then briefly dated actress Elaine Stritch. His third wife, actress Elizabeth Montgomery (1956-1963), divorced him due to his drinking. Young's fourth wife, nine months after his divorce from Montgomery, was Elaine Williams (1963-1966), who was pregnant with his child at the time. Their daughter, Jennifer, was born in April 1964. The couple divorced after three years of marriage. Unwilling to pay child support, Young denied paternity, but after five years of legal battles, he lost the case.
Young met his fifth wife, 21-year-old German Kim Schmidt, on the set of his final film. They married in September 1978. On October 19, 1978, the newlyweds were found dead in their Manhattan apartment. According to police, Young shot his wife and then himself. The case remains officially unsolved.
Legacy and Honors
For his contributions to the television industry, Gig Young was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.
