Spalding Gray

Anxiety-ridden New Englander known for his autobiographical monologues and his association with the NYC experimental theater company, The Wooster Group, which he co-founded in 1977. His experience as a bit player in "The Killing Fields" (1984) was translated into an OBIE-award winning one-person show and then into the film "Swimming to Cambodia" (1987), directed by Jonathan Demme.

Prior to his breakthrough, Gray was memorable in a small role in David Byrne's "True Stories" (1986). As a result of the success of "Swimming to Cambodia", he continued to appear in features--while devoting time to writing and stage performances--usually playing doctors or other WASP establishment figures. His films include "Beaches", as a doctor, "Clara's Heart" (both 1988) and "Straight Talk" (1992), again as a doctor. Gray also worked in TV.

In 1992, he returned to his roots with "Monster in a Box", a film version of his acclaimed staged monologue. Chronicling Gray's life after "Swimming to Cambodia" and his struggle to write a semi-autobiographical novel, "Impossible Vacation". He next appeared in Paul Mazursky's "The Pickle" (1993), as . . . a doctor. He had a change of pace portraying a newspaper editor in Ron Howard's "The Paper" (1994) and was a tour group leader in "Beyond Rangoon" (1995). In 1998, Gray displayed his ablities to carry an entire show when he performed soley in "Morning, Noon and Night." He then joined rappers Method Man and Redman for the feature "How High," A comedy about two students who, after being accepted to Harvard, manage to turn the campus upside-down. (2001) In the 2002 feature "Revolution #9," Gray co-starred in the thriller with veteran Adrienne Shelly and newcomer Michael Risley.

  • Born:
    June 5, 1941 in Barrington, Rhode Island, USA
  • Died:
    January 10, 2004.
  • Job Titles:
    Actor, Playwright, Author, Performance artist
Family
  • Brother: Channing Gray. music critic for the Providence Journal
  • Brother: Rockwell Gray Jr. teacher of comparative literature at Washington University in St. Louis
  • Father: Rockwell Gray.
  • Son: Forrest Gray. born c. 1992; mother, Kathie Russo
  • Son: Theo Gray. born in January 1997; mother, Kathie Russo
  • Step-daughter: Marissa Russo. born c. 1986
Significant Others
  • Companion: Elizabeth LeCompte. founded the Wooster Group together in 1977; later became involved with Willem Dafoe
Education
  • Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts, theater
Milestones
  • 1965 Began career as actor at Alley Theater, Houston
  • 1969 Joined Richard Schechner s Performance Group, New York
  • 1977 Appeared in the adult films, The Farmer s Daughter and Candy Lips
  • 1977 Co-founded Wooster Group (with Elizabeth LeCompte)
  • 1977 Performed first autobiographical direct address monologue, Three Places in Rhode Island
  • 1983 Film debut (voice only), Variety
  • 1984 Feature acting debut, The Killing Fields
  • 1986 Artist-in-residence, Mark Taper Forum
  • 1986 TV debut in The American Dream , a documentary interview and panel discussion show
  • 1992 Published first novel, Impossible Vacation
  • 1998 Performed solo show Morning, Noon and Night in San Francisco
  • 1999 Cast in the indy feature Coming Soon
  • 2001 Cast in the romantic comedy Kate & Leopold
  • 2001 Portrayed Prof Jackson in the comedy feature How High
  • 2002 Co-starred as Scooter McCrae in the thriller feature Revolution #9
  • Born and raised in Rhode Island
  • Off-Broadway debut in Tom Paine at LaMama Company in the late 1960s
  • TV acting debut in a episode of Bedtime Stories

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