Grant Williams
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For the football player of the same name see Grant Williams (football player).
| Grant Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Grant Williams August 18, 1930 New York City, New York |
| Died | July 25, 1985 (aged 54) Los Angeles, California |
Grant Williams (August 18, 1930 - July 25, 1985) was an American film actor best remembered for his portrayal of Scott Carey in the seminal science fiction classic film The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). The film has become an existential cult classic.
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[edit] Early Life
Born John Grant Williams in New York City of Scottish parents, he began acting in summer stock as a child. He served in The Air Force from 1948 to 1952 after graduation from high school. Upon completion of his military service he returned to New York and attended classes in three colleges:
- Queens College, Flushing, Queens, New York
- University of Illinois, Illinois
- City College of New York, New York City, New York
[edit] Career
Williams was initially interested in singing and performed with both the New York City Opera and The Robert Shaw Chorale. He also played piano professionally. He soon became interested in acting and enrolled at the Actors Studio in New York City under Lee Strasberg. After several small roles on Broadway and television he was spotted by a talent scout on Kraft Television Theater in 1954 and signed with Universal Pictures in 1956. He made his film debut in Red Sundown the same year.
Williams was given the lead in his seventh film The Incredible Shrinking Man in 1957. Despite good reviews and the success of the film his career continued with lackluster roles. After Universal Pictures dropped his contract in 1959, he signed with Warner Brothers, where his first assignment was a continuing role in the television series Hawaiian Eye. Several film and television roles followed. After his acting career declined, he opened an acting school in Hollywood and authored several books on the subject. He continued acting with sporadic roles in film and television. His last film assignment was in The Doomsday Machine in 1972.
[edit] Personal Life
Grant Williams died July 25, 1985 of peritonitis after being treated for blood poisoning at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Los Angeles. He was buried at The Los Angeles National Cemetery, Los Angeles, California in section 218, space 83. He was survived by one brother.
Grant Williams was a relative of Scottish opera singer Mary Garden. He remained a lifelong bachelor.
[edit] Filmography
- Red Sundown (1956)
- Away All Boats (1956) (uncredited)
- Outside the Law (1956)
- Showdown at Abiline (1956)
- Written on the Wind (1956)
- Four Girls in Town (1957)
- The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
- The Monolith Monsters (1957)
- The Lone Texan (1959)
- Thirteen Fighting Men (1960)
- The Leech Woman (1960)
- Susan Slade (1961)
- The Couch (1962)
- PT 109 (1963)
- How's Your Love Life? (1971)
- Brain of Blood (1972)
- The Doomsday Machine (1972)
