Gig Young
Actor
Name at birth: Byron Ellsworth Barr
Gig Young was a career supporting player who won an Oscar late in his career for the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They? He took the stage name Gig Young after playing a character by that name in the movie The Gay Sisters (1942). After serving in World War II, Gig became a reliable supporting player in the movies, earning Oscar nominations for Come Fill The Cup (1951) and Teacher's Pet (1958). Young had alcohol and marital problems, and his career began to wane in the 1960s, but he rallied to win the best supporting actor Oscar as an abrasive dance marathon emcee in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (with Jane Fonda). Young killed his fifth wife and then himself with a pistol in 1978.
Extra credit: Among Young's five wives was actress Elizabeth Montgomery, star of TV's Bewitched; they were married from 1956-63... Young was originally cast as the lead in Blazing Saddles, but was replaced by Gene Wilder.
Four Good Links
The Grave of Gig Young
Some biographical and gravesite facts
Six-Year Gig
Info on Young from a fan site for his ex-wife, actress Elizabeth Montgomery
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Wikipedia takes a peek at his big film
Gig Young Filmography
The Internet Movie Database has a cross-referenced list of credits
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
19 October 1978
(suicide, age 64)
Best Known As
Oscar-winner from They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
