Michael Gray, star of the 1970s CBS live-action series Shazam!died of natural causes on October 16 in Palm Desert, California, his rep confirmed to Deadline. He was 75 years old.
One of Gray’s first television roles came in 1972, when he was cast in the NBC series. The little peoplealongside Brian Keith and Shelly Fabares. But his big break came a few years later when he landed the role of Billy Batson on the live-action Saturday morning show. Shazam!
Gray’s Billy Batson was a teenager who could transform into the superhero Captain Marvel by saying the magic word “Shazam!” With his guardian “Mentor” (Les Tremayne), Billy traveled the country in a 1973 Dodge Open Road camper, looking for injustices to solve. The role was originally played by Jackson Bostwick and later by John Davey.
“I didn’t know the character or the story when I was first cast, so I had to study quickly — so it was both fun and exhausting, challenging and exciting,” Gray said during a Comic-Con panel in 2012. “It didn’t matter whether it was Saturday morning or prime time — although the fact that it was one of the first live-action shows on Saturday morning was exciting. It was definitely an exciting show to work.”
Shazam! aired on CBS from 1974 to 1976.
During the 1970s, Gray also became a teen idol, frequently appearing on the covers of Tiger Beat and other popular teen magazines.
His early career also included guest roles on primetime series such as The Brady Bunch (as Marcia’s boyfriend in a 1973 episode), Dynasty, Marcus Welby, MD, Room 222 And The flying nun. He also played Burt Reynolds’ younger brother in the TV movie Run, Simon, runand appeared in 1970s films Beyond the Valley of the Dolls And Myra Breckinridge.
His most recent credits include a four-episode arc on the FX comedy Archer as the voice of one of Sterling Archer’s childhood idols, playing “TV’s Michael Gray”. He also appeared in the Power surge film franchise, on AMC Cartoon menand made a funny appearance in Shazam! Fury of the Godswhere he interacted with Zachary Levi’s Captain Marvel in a nod to the original series.
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.
Gn entert
