Michael Gray dead: 'Shazam!' star, teen idol was 75
Michael Gray, the actor best known for his role as Billy Batson in the 1970s TV series 'Shazam!', has died at age 75. Gray was a prominent teen idol during the mid-1970s and reflected fondly on the show's positive influence on viewers.
Why it matters
Gray's passing marks the loss of a nostalgic figure in 1970s pop culture and children's television history.
Michael Gray, who played the teenager who could turn into a superhero in the 1970s live-action Saturday morning children's TV series "Shazam!," has died. He was 75. Gray died Oct. 16 from natural causes in Palm Desert, a representative for the actor announced Thursday. No other details were provided. Based on the comic book superhero Captain Marvel, who first appeared in an issue of Whiz Comics in 1939, "Shazam!" aired for three seasons on CBS from 1974 to 1976. Gray starred as Billy Batson, a teenager who could transform into a grown-up superhero by saying the magic word "Shazam!" In his enhanced form, Captain Marvel possesses powers such as superhuman strength and speed, heightened intelligence and the ability to wield lightning. The character has since been renamed to Shazam. "It was a lot of fun," Gray said of the role in a 2012 interview with Fanboy Planet.
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