Andy Gray (actor)
{{Short description|Scottish actor and writer (1959–2021)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Andy Gray
| image = File:Andy_Gray,_Perth_born_Actor.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1959|9|13}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2021|1|18|1959|9|13}}
| occupation = Theatre and television actor, comedian
}}
Andy Gray (13 September 1959 – 18 January 2021) was a Scottish actor and writer from Perth.
He appeared on stage and TV, including starring roles in the BBC series Naked Video, City Lights, and River City.
Education
He trained in Drama at Edinburgh's Queen Margaret University College from 1976 to 1979.{{Cite web|title=These were Andy Gray's most memorable acting roles - including River City and City Lights|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/andy-gray-scottish-actors-most-memorable-roles-he-dies-aged-61-river-city-city-lights-3105425|access-date=2021-01-20|website=The Scotsman|date=19 January 2021 |language=en}}
Career
Gray starred in the BBC Radio Scotland sketch show Naked Radio, and its later television counterpart Naked Video.{{cite web|url=http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/comedy?articleid=3923132 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615125114/http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/comedy?articleid=3923132 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 June 2011 |title=Elaine adds voice of authority |last=Rudden |first=Liam |author2=Balfour, Josie |date=28 March 2008 |work=The Scotsman|access-date=22 December 2010 }} He then became well known as the appropriately named "Chancer", best friend and source of problems to Willie Melvin (Gerard Kelly) in the 1987 sitcom City Lights.{{IMDb name|9731222|Andy Gray}} He was well known for pantomiming, usually co-writing the script and often alongside other former City Lights cast members. He appeared opposite Kelly in a touring production of The Odd Couple. He took the starring role in a Channel 4 proposed comedy pilot show Miles is Better where he played a very enthusiastic burglar alarm salesman (Miles).
Gray worked extensively in theatre and television since 1979 and was described as "a stalwart of Scottish Theatre".{{Cite web|last=Begbie|first=Scott|title=Andy Gray: Aberdeen audiences have fond memories of top Scots panto star at HMT|url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/nostalgia/2824228/andy-gray-aberdeen-audiences-have-fond-memories-of-top-scots-panto-star-at-hmt/|access-date=2021-01-20|website=Press and Journal|date=18 January 2021 |language=en-US}} Gray appeared in the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe with panto colleague Grant Stott in Philip Meeks's play Kiss Me Honey Honey, which won a Fringe First.[https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/entertainment/theatre-review-kiss-me-honey-honey-1-3148373 "Theatre Review: Kiss Me Honey, Honey". 18 October 2013.] Edinburgh Evening News. The show returned at the 2014 Fringe. In the feature film Time Teens, he portrayed a villain (Black Ruthven) with writer/actor Ian Grieve{{IMDb title|3470676|Time Teens:The Beginning}} directed by Ryan Dewar. He continued in his darker comedy as William Donaldson in Ian Pattison's Willie and Sebastian{{Cite web|title=Willie and Sebastian: All Edinburgh Theatre.com|url=http://www.alledinburghtheatre.com/willie-and-sebastian/|access-date=2021-01-20|language=en-US}} at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe when he won the coveted Stage Award for Acting Excellence for his performance.{{Cite web|title=Gray Wins Stage Award : All Edinburgh Theatre.com|url=http://www.alledinburghtheatre.com/gray-wins-stage-award/|access-date=2021-01-20|language=en-US}}
Gray joined his pantomime co-stars, Allan Stewart and Grant Stott in Canned Laughter,{{Cite web|date=2016-03-14|title=Canned Laughter review – 70s comedy trio's gleefully creaky cabaret|url=http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/mar/14/canned-laughter-review-adam-smith-theatre-kirkcaldy|access-date=2021-01-20|website=The Guardian|language=en}} a tour about a 1970s showbiz trio based on Stewart's career. His final Fringe performances were in Philip Differ's 'Double Feature'{{Cite web|last=Kennedy|first=John|date=2018-05-03|title=At the King's – Double Feature|url=https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2018/05/at-the-kings-double-feature/|access-date=2021-01-20|website=The Edinburgh Reporter|language=en-US}} (2017 and 2018 tour) and Ruaraidh Murray's The Junkies{{Cite web|title=Fringe show cancelled as star Andy Gray struck down with illness|url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/fringe-show-cancelled-star-andy-gray-struck-down-illness-269089|access-date=2021-01-20|website=edinburghnews.scotsman.com|date=3 August 2018 |language=en}} (which played only one performance due to Gray's cancer diagnosis). He appeared in Jason Connery's Scottish BAFTA award-winning 2016 film Tommy's Honour.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3467914/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm Tommy's Honour] on IMDb From 2016 until 2018, he played Pete Galloway in Scottish soap opera River City.{{cite web |title=Scots TV and theatre star Andy Gray dies aged 61 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55709000 |website=BBC News |access-date=4 November 2021 |date=18 January 2021}}
Other theatre performances include:{{Cite web|title=Remembering Andy Gray : All Edinburgh Theatre.com|url=http://www.alledinburghtheatre.com/remembering-andy-gray-a-look-back-over-his-last-20-years-on-edinburghs-stages/|access-date=2021-01-20|language=en-US}} Dario Fo's Trumpets and Raspberries (1985) with Elaine C. Smith and Alan Cumming; Werewolf (1999); Guys and Dolls (2001) at Lyceum, Edinburgh; The Woman Who Cooked her Husband (2004); A Limited Run (2005); Stones in His Pockets (2005); The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (2008); and Irma Vep (2009) at Perth Theatre with Steven McNicoll.
Personal life
In August 2018, Gray, who was beginning a run of the play Junkies at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, felt unwell and withdrew from the show, and from the filming of River City that was to follow. He was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes.{{Cite web|title=Cancer was my hardest role, says panto star Andy Gray|url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/theatre-and-stage/cancer-was-my-hardest-role-says-panto-star-andy-gray-542543|access-date=2021-01-20|website=The Scotsman|date=18 August 2019 |language=en}} Gray was treated with chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant from one of his sisters. He returned to work in 2019, saying he was "feeling great now".{{Cite web|title=Brian Beacom: Andy Gray reveals how his sister saved his life|url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/entertainment/17997085.brian-beacom-river-city-star-andy-gray-reveals-sister-saved-life/|access-date=2021-01-20|website=Glasgow Times|date=28 October 2019 |language=en}}
Gray contracted COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020. He died in hospital intensive care on 18 January 2021, aged 61, following complications caused by COVID-19.{{Cite news|title=Andy Gray obituary|newspaper=The Times |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/andy-gray-obituary-5vz3xl2hz|access-date=2021-01-20|issn=0140-0460}}{{cite web|url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/19019766.river-city-star-andy-gray-tragically-dies-aged-61/|title=Former River City star Andy Gray dies aged 61|first=Ruth|last=Suter|date=18 January 2021|work=Glasgow Times|access-date=18 January 2021}}{{cite news | url=https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/tributes-andy-gray-after-legendary-scottish-actor-and-comedy-star-passes-away-3104398 | title=Tributes to Andy Gray after legendary Scottish actor and comedy star passes away | author=Brian Ferguson | date=19 January 2021 | newspaper=The Scotsman}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|name=Andy Gray (actor)}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Andy}}
Category:Scottish comedy writers
Category:Scottish male radio actors
Category:Scottish male soap opera actors
Category:Scottish male television actors
Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
Category:Actors from Perth, Scotland