Amiable supporting player and occasional lead who broke into film in the early 1940s. Young appeared in several bit parts under his given name, Byron Barr, and the pseudonym, Bryant Fleming, before adopting the name of his character in the 1942 feature, "The Gay Sisters". While he proved capable in several dramatic parts (notably as the sleazy emcee in the haunting "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" which brought him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Young seemed destined to play debonair cads and slightly inebriated playboys who never win the female lead in the end in sophisticated light comedies such as "Desk Set" (1957), "Teacher's Pet" (1958) and "That Touch of Mink" (1962). Young's third and fifth wives were actresses Elizabeth Montgomery and Kim Schmidt; he allegedly shot the latter three weeks into the marriage before turning the gun on himself.
- Also Credited As:
Bryant Fleming, Byron Barr, Byron Elsworth Barr
- Born:
November 4, 1913 in St Cloud, Minnesota, USA
- Died:
October 19, 1978.
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Job Titles:
Actor
Family
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Daughter: Jennifer Young. Gig Young filed a non-paternity suit claiming he wasn t her father; left her $10 in his will
Education
Milestones
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1941 Signed by Warner Bros.
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1942 First featured film role in The Gay Sisters ; played character named Gig Young and subsequently adopted the name for himself
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1951 Received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work in drama about alcoholism, Come Fill the Cup , starring James Cagney
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1958 Received a second Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the comedy, Teacher s Pet , starring Clark Gable and Doris Day
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1975 Last films included The Hindenburg and The Killer Elite ; appeared in the Bruce Lee film Game of Death which was shot mostly in 1973 but held up until 1979 because star Bruce Lee died during its making
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Served in WWII