Michael Gray, the actor and former teen idol who portrayed Billy Batson on the 1970s superhero television series “Shazam!”, died on Oct. 16 in Palm Desert, California. He was 75.
Representatives for Gray confirmed that he died of natural causes, Deadline and Variety reported on Thursday.
Between 1974 and 1976, Gray starred across three seasons and 28 episodes of the live-action CBS Saturday-morning series, which brought the DC Comics hero to television. In the series, Gray played Batson, a teenager who roamed the nation in an RV with his companion Mentor, played by Les Tremayne, and transformed into the superhero Captain Marvel by uttering the magic phrase “Shazam!” The superhero persona was portrayed initially by Jackson Bostwick and later by John Davey.
A 1970s Teen Idol
Born in Chicago on Sept. 2, 1951, and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, Gray relocated to Southern California to study acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. Before his turn as a superhero’s alter ego, Gray appeared in numerous television shows during the early 1970s. He secured a regular part as Ronnie in the NBC program “The Little People” alongside Brian Keith and Shelly Fabares, and made guest appearances on series such as “The Flying Nun,” “Room 222” and “Marcus Welby, M.D.”
Pop culture fans also recognized Gray from a memorable 1973 appearance on “The Brady Bunch,” where he portrayed Marcia Brady’s boyfriend, Jeff. On the big screen, he was cast in films including “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” and “Myra Breckinridge,” and he played the brother of Burt Reynolds’ character in the television movie “Run, Simon, Run.”
His work on “Shazam!” catapulted Gray to teen idol status, regularly landing him on the covers of publications such as Tiger Beat. However, Gray later recalled that he was not familiar with the comic book before booking the job. Speaking at a comic convention panel in 2012, Gray reflected on the fast-paced production schedule, which took about two and a half days per episode, describing the experience as “fun and exhausting, challenging and thrilling, all at once.”
Life Beyond the RV and Later Resurgence
Fearing that the superhero role had caused him to be typecast, Gray stepped away from Hollywood for an extended period after “Shazam!” ended. During his time outside the entertainment industry, he worked in men’s fashion, taught children’s theater, and operated a floral business alongside his wife, Stacy Benon Gray.
Interest in Gray’s career revived in 2012 after “Shazam!” was remastered and released on DVD. Gray began making regular appearances at comic book conventions across the country, reconnecting with adults who had watched him during their childhoods.
“Mike was just a loving, sweet guy with a great sense of humor,” Davey said in a statement honoring his former co-star. “He loved acting, loved doing the show and, in recent years, loved appearing at comic cons. He really enjoyed meeting and chatting with the fans.”
In his later years, Gray lent his voice to the animated FX comedy “Archer” in a recurring role as a caricature of himself, billed as “TV’s Michael Gray.” He also worked on the independent “Surge of Power” film series and showed up on AMC’s “Comic Book Men.” In 2023, Gray made a cameo appearance in the feature film “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” sharing a moment with Zachary Levi’s Captain Marvel as a tribute to the 1970s television adaptation.
Gray is survived by his wife of more than three decades, Stacy Benon Gray; stepchildren Ryan Cooper and Laurel Cooper; and son-in-law Lee Barker.
