Grant Williams

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Grant Williams
Born John Grant Williams
(1931-08-18)August 18, 1931
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died July 25, 1985(1985-07-25) (aged 53)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active 1954-1976
Spouse(s) lifelong bachelor

Grant Williams (August 18, 1931 - July 28, 1985) was an American film actor and operatic tenor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Scott Carey in the seminal science fiction film The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), which has since become a cult classic.

Early life

Born John Joseph Williams in New York City to a Scottish father and an Irish mother, Williams began acting in summer stock as a child.[1] After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1948 to 1952, before and during the Korean War. He was discharged as an Air Force staff sergeant. He then attended Queens College, in Flushing, Queens, New York, the University of Illinois, Illinois, and finally the City College of New York in New York City.

Career

Williams originally was a singer and performed for five seasons with the New York City Opera. In 1959, he portrayed The Tenore Buffo in the world premiere of Hugo Weisgall's Six Characters in Search of an Author. Williams also sang with The Robert Shaw Chorale and played piano professionally. He then became interested in acting and enrolled at the Actors Studio in New York City under Lee Strasberg.[1] Following 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 two years later. He made his film debut in Red Sundown the same year. [2]

In 1957, in his most memorable role, Williams starred as Scott Carey in his seventh film, The Incredible Shrinking Man, with Randy Stuart playing his wife, Louise.[1] Despite good reviews and the success of the film, his career continued with only lackluster roles. Universal Pictures dropped his contract in 1959, and he signed in 1960 with Warner Brothers, where he had a continuing role as the private detective Greg McKenzie in the ABC television series Hawaiian Eye, co-starring Robert Conrad, Anthony Eisley, and Connie Stevens.[1] Several film and television roles followed, including the role of the psychopathic killer in Robert Bloch's The Couch but fame still eluded him. He did make two guest appearances on Perry Mason in 1964 as columnist and murderer Quincy Davis in "The Case of the Ruinous Road",[3] and defendant Dr. Todd Meade in the 1965 episode "The Case of the Baffling Bug".[4] He played the title character (Albert "Patch" Saunders) in the 1965 Bonanza episode "Patchwork Man." [5]

As his acting career declined, he opened a dramatics school in West Hollywood.[2] He also was the author of several books on acting. Williams continued to act occasionally in movies and television. His last released film appearance was in Doomsday Machine (1972 film) but being actually shot in 1969, it made Brain of Blood (1972) his very last acting job for the screen. His very last TV appearance happened in 1983 on the game show Family Feud where he acted with other cast members from the TV series of The Sixties Hawaiian Eye.[2]

Personal life and Death

Grant Williams died on July 28, 1985 of peritonitis at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Los Angeles.[6] He was buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery.[7] Williams had never married and was survived by a brother. He was a cousin of Scottish opera singer Mary Garden.

Filmography

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Biography for Grant Williams at the Internet Movie Database
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Grant Williams (1931-1985)". Brian's Drive-In Theater. 2013-01-25. Retrieved 2013-09-06. 
  3. Kelleher, Brian; Merrill, Diana (2006-10-16). "December 31, 1964 [225] "The Case of the Ruinous Road"". The Perry Mason TV Show Book. Retrieved 2013-09-06. 
  4. Kelleher, Brian; Merrill, Diana (2006-10-16). "December 12, 1965 [254] "The Case of the Baffling Bug"". The Perry Mason TV Show Book. Retrieved 2013-09-06. 
  5. IMDb
  6. Grant Williams dies at 54
  7. "Grant Williams". Find-a-Grave. Retrieved September 6, 2013. 

External links

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