fiction.wikisort.org - Actor

John Joseph Williams (August 18, 1931 – July 28, 1985), known as Grant Williams, was an American film, theater, and television actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Scott Carey in the science fiction film The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), and for his starring role as Greg MacKenzie on Hawaiian Eye from 1960 through 1963.

Grant Williams
Born	John Joseph Williams (1931-08-18)August 18, 1931 New York City, U.S.
Died	July 25, 1985(1985-07-25) (aged 53) Los Angeles, California, US
Years active	1954–1976
Military career
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1948–1952
Rank	Staff sergeant
Battles/wars	Korean War

Early life

Born in New York City, his parents were Thomas Williams, originally from Scotland, and Helen Tewes Williams.[fn 1][1] Williams had one younger brother.[1] Williams began acting in summer stock as a child.[2]

Military service

After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving from September 1948 to September 1952, before and during the Korean War.[3] He was discharged as an Air Force staff sergeant.[3]

Higher education

It would seem that Williams attended one or more colleges after his Air Force stint, but the sources are deeply discordant about which. He had, in fact, enrolled in Queens College, Flushing, New York, but cut his attendance short when he enlisted. Among the universities cited by the various sources are: the University of Illinois, City College of New York, Columbia University, and New York University. According to Rual Askew of the Dallas Morning News, who interviewed Williams in March 1957 and published a profile of the actor,[4] Williams earned a BA in journalism from New York University. According to other press sources (such as a February 1959 syndicated article in the Daily Herald of Provo, Utah),[5] Williams obtained a degree in journalism from a correspondence school.[6]

Stage career

After his Air Force service, he enrolled at the Actors Studio in New York City[fn 2] under Lee Strasberg.

During auditions held at the Town Hall Club in New York City in May 1953, Williams was selected for a summer scholarship at the Barter Theatre by Rosalind Russell.[7] The "Barter Colony" at Abingdon, Virginia is a unique training ground for actors, providing instruction in all forms of stagecraft. It was a popular choice for many recently discharged veterans, such as John Vivyan and Ernest Borgnine, who found the communal lifestyle a comfortable buffer before rejoining the civilian world. Williams spent the entire summer of 1953 there, performing in plays (see Stage performances) that on occasion starred an established professional. According to contemporary Barter publicity, he had at least five previous stage credits in Golden Boy, Angel Street, The Heiress, All My Sons, and The Glass Menagerie, but for which the roles and venues are not known.[8]

Following his summer at Barter, Williams next performed in the Off-Broadway[fn 3] Blackfriars Guild Theatre. Late Arrival was staged in October 1953, wherein Williams played a suitor to the young female lead. Though he had used "Grant Williams" all throughout his Barter tenure, he was now billed as "John J. Williams".[9] He returned to using "Grant Williams" as the lead for a summer stock production of Rope during July 1954.[10]

Williams' early theatrical experience was intensive, but, contrary to what several Internet sources[11] (and Williams himself)[12] have stated, never included Broadway. His work in the theater was all "off-Broadway", at prestigious venues such as the Blackfriars Theatre in New York (1953).[13]

Screen career

Following small roles on television, Williams was spotted by a talent scout on Kraft Television Theater in 1954 and signed with Universal Pictures in March 1955. He made his film debut in Jack Arnold's Red Sundown in March of the following year in the small but memorable bravura role of hired thug Chet Swann. [14]

This film was followed by another picture directed by Arnold, the noir thriller Outside the Law (1956), by the western Showdown at Abilene (1956), by some small uncredited roles, and by the middling CinemaScope romantic comedy Four Girls in Town (1957).^{[citation needed]}

In his most memorable role,[15] Williams starred as Scott Carey in his seventh film, the Hugo Award-winning science fiction film The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), with Randy Stuart playing his wife, Louise. Despite good reviews and the success of the film, his career continued with only lackluster roles. Universal Pictures dropped his contract in 1959,[16] and he signed in 1960 with Warner Brothers, where he had a continuing role as the private detective Greg McKenzie on Hawaiian Eye, co-starring Robert Conrad, Anthony Eisley, and Connie Stevens.

Several film and television roles followed, including playing Col. Geo. Custer on the show Yancy Derringer, and the role of the psychopathic killer in Robert Bloch's The Couch (1962), but fame still eluded him. He made two guest appearances on Perry Mason, in 1964 as columnist and murderer Quincy Davis in "The Case of the Ruinous Road,"[17] and as defendant Dr. Todd Meade in the 1965 episode "The Case of the Baffling Bug."[18]

He starred as troubled military psychologist Major Douglas McKinnon in The Outer Limits episode "The Brain of Colonel Barham" along with former Hawaiian Eye co-star Anthony Eisley. Also in 1965, Williams played the title character (Albert "Patch" Saunders) in the Bonanza episode "Patchwork Man," as well as the 1960 episode "Escape to Ponderosa."

Williams attempted a comedic role on the radio airwaves in the anthology program Family Theater (September 11, 1957, the show's last episode), and there was some light-heartedness to his delightful role as Mike Carter in the half-hour episode "Millionaire Gilbert Burton" (April 29, 1959) of the series The Millionaire. As his acting career declined, he opened a drama school in West Hollywood.[14] According to earlier versions of this article, he also wrote several books on acting, though his acting students never mention them in the extensive interviews included in Stampalia's biography,[19] and there appears to be no trace of their publication. Williams continued to act occasionally in both movies and television, but without much conviction and in inferior products. His last released film appearance was in Doomsday Machine (1972); however, as it was actually shot in 1967, Brain of Blood (1972) was his last acting work for the screen. His last TV appearance was in 1983 on the game show Family Feud along with other former cast members from Hawaiian Eye.[14]

Life and death

Williams died on July 28, 1985, of peritonitis at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Los Angeles[20] and was buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery.[3]

Williams never married but was survived by a brother. He was a cousin, or rather great-nephew,[21] of Scottish opera singer Mary Garden.

Stage performances

Listed by year of first performance

Year	Play	Role	Venue	Notes
1953	A Streetcar Named Desire	A Young Collector	Barter Theatre	Williams' debut at the Barter, in a minor role that emphasised his youthful appearance, didn't even draw a mention from the reviewer[22]
	Ten Little Indians	Anthony Marston	Barter Theatre	The reviewer noticed Williams this time, wishing he hadn't to disappear so quickly.[23]
	Street Scene	Daniel Buchanen	Barter Theatre	Williams shared a group "very honorable mention" [24]
	Born Yesterday	Paul Verrall	Barter Theatre	A critic said Williams' first leading role at Barter was "effective" but lacked "vocal warmth" for romance.[25]
	Family Portrait	Joseph	Barter Theatre	Judith Anderson reprised her Broadway role as Mary[26]
	The 13 Clocks	Tosspot	Barter Theatre	Eric Blore as the Tale-Teller was the big draw; the first Williams' interpretation of an inebriate.[27]
	The Two Gentlemen of Verona	Proteus	Barter Theatre	Williams' final Barter appearance was the first US production of this play since 1899.[28]
	Late Arrival	Jimmy	Blackfriars Theatre	Williams was credited as one of the "more effective" performers[29]
1954	Rope	Wyndham Brandon	Hampton Theatre[fn 4]	Williams starred in this thriller[10]

Selected filmography

Notes

References

External links

• Grant Williams at IMDb
• Grant Williams at the Internet Broadway Database

На других языках

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- [en] Grant Williams (actor)

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[es] Grant Williams

Grant Williams (18 de agosto de 1931 – 28 de julio de 1985) fue un actor y cantante de ópera de nacionalidad estadounidense. Es sobre todo recordado por su interpretación como Scott Carey en el film de ciencia ficción The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).

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