Michael Gray has sadly passed away at the age of 75. He was best known for his role as Billy Batson in the 1970s hit TV series Shazam! According to representatives of Gray, he died of natural causes on Friday, October 16, per PEOPLE. Following the news of his death, John Davey, who replaced Jackson Bostwick as Captain Marvel, released a short statement.
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"From my very first day on Shazam!, Mike and Les [Tremayne] welcomed me like a king," Davey's statement read, via PEOPLE. "Mike was just a loving, sweet guy with a great sense of humor. 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. Mike was a wonderful man - I don't think he ever stopped smiling"
Shazam! ran between 1974 and 1976. The series was based on Batson, a DC Comics character who could transform into Captain Marvel by shouting the phrase Shazam!.
"I didn't know the character or the story when I was initially cast, so I had to be a quick study - so it was fun and exhausting, challenging and thrilling, all at once," Gray once recalled during a Comic-Con panel.
Michael Gray Had 15 Acting Credits to His Name
Gray was born in Chicago in 1951; however, he grew up in Miami Beach before eventually moving to Hollywood to kickstart his acting career. According to IMDB, his first on-screen role came in 1969, when he played a student in Room 222 for one episode. The following year, Gray played a young man in The Flying Nun, again, for one episode.
However, in 1972, Gray got his first recurring role. He played Ronnie Collins in The Little People, appearing in 10 episodes between 1972 and 1973. A one-episode guest role on The Brady Bunch followed, along with a role as Buzzy Knight in the movie Our Time.
Later in his career, Gray was given a short cameo appearance in the 2023 movie Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, where he played a man on the street.
Currently, there's no information regarding Gray's impending funeral or celebration of life. That information will likely remain private, for close friends and family.
