Skip to content
Gig Young

File:Gig_Young_-_1953.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ344758· pop 41· linked from 379 articles

Also known as Byron Barr

American actor (1913–1978)

Person · Open Library

Born
1913
Died
1978
Works
2

Top works

  • There's a girl in my soup
  • Under the yum-yum tree

via Open Library + Wikidata

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person
Country
CA
Active from
1945-11-12

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Key facts

Born
Byron Elsworth Barr , ( 1913-11-04 ) November 4, 1913, St. Cloud, Minnesota , U.S.
Died
October 19, 1978 (1978-10-19) (aged 64), New York City , New York , U.S.
Cause of death
Ballistic trauma ( murder–suicide )
Occupation
Actor
Years active
1940–1978

via Wikipedia infobox

~17 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Gig Young (born Byron Elsworth Barr; November 4, 1913 – October 19, 1978) was an American actor. He was active in film, television, and theatre from the late 1930's through the 1970's, and was initially known for his portrayals of characters with "light-hearted sophistication." He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), with two previous nominations for Come Fill the Cup (1952) and Teacher's Pet (1959).

Young's career was tempered by a troubled personal life. Dissatisfied with the quality of roles, his worsening alcoholism caused him to lose several high-profile roles, severely hurting his career prospects. In 1978, Young murdered his 31-year-old wife three weeks after their wedding before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide at the age of 64.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Gig Young” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (2)