Gig Young
A Hollywood supporting player whose charming, often tipsy facade masked a turbulent life, culminating in a single, chilling Oscar-winning performance.
1913–1978 (age 65)·American actor·Birthday: November 4·The Greatest Generation
Biography
For decades, Gig Young was the epitome of the amiable, slightly dissipated second lead. With his handsome, boyish looks and easy charm, he specialized in playing the witty best friend or the not-quite-right suitor in a string of comedies and dramas throughout the 1940s and '50s. He received two Academy Award nominations for these roles, cementing his reputation as a reliable and talented scene-stealer. But the role that would define him arrived in 1969's bleak depression-era marathon drama, *They Shoot Horses, Don't They?*. As Rocky, the merciless emcee of a dance contest, Young shed every ounce of his likable persona. His performance was a terrifying portrait of slick, cynical exploitation, and it won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The triumph was shadowed by a personal life marred by alcoholism and tragedy. His career never regained its earlier momentum, and his life ended in a shocking murder-suicide, leaving behind a legacy forever split between the light-hearted charmer and the dark, desperate artist he ultimately portrayed.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Gig was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Gig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 60
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Died at 65
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Rocky in *They Shoot Horses, Don't They?* (1969).
- Received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for *Come Fill the Cup* (1951) and *Teacher's Pet* (1958).
- Starred opposite some of Hollywood's biggest leading ladies, including Doris Day, Natalie Wood, and Shirley MacLaine.
- Had a successful television career, winning a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in *The Christmas Wife* (1988).
Did You Know?
His real name was Byron Elsworth Barr; he took his stage name from a character he played in his early film *The Gay Sisters*.
He served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II.
He was married five times, including a brief marriage to actress Elizabeth Montgomery.
He taught acting at the University of Southern California later in his life.
“A good supporting actor knows when to get out of the way.”
