Information AboutSpalding Gray |
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Spalding Gray ( June 5 , 1941 – ca. January 10 , 2004 in Barrington, Rhode Island ) was an American Actor , Screenwriter and Playwright . CAREER After a few minor cinema roles and appearing in '' The Farmer's Daughter '', a Pornographic film, Gray first achieved national prominence with his film '' Swimming To Cambodia '', a filmed version of one of his monologues. He based the monologue on his experiences in Southeast Asia while filming a small part in the 1984 movie '' The Killing Fields ''. He attracted some attention from Postmodernist critics over the extent of the overlap between his off-stage self and his on-stage persona. He was sometimes accused of appropriating the fortunes or misfortunes of others for material for his monologues. He was a founding member of the Experimental Theater company The Wooster Group . He also appeared in a Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder 's '' Our Town ''. '' ( 1987 ).]] In the early 1990s, Gray published his first and only novel, ''Impossible Vacation''. The novel is strongly based upon Gray's own life experiences, including his Christian Scientist upbringing, his WASP background, and his mother's Suicide . True to form, Gray wrote a monologue about his experiences writing the book, entitled '' Monster In A Box ''. In June 2001 he suffered severe injuries in a car crash while on holiday in Ireland . In January 2004 , Gray, known to suffer bouts of Depression in part as a result of these injuries, was declared missing. The night before his disappearance he had seen Tim Burton 's film '' Big Fish '', which ends with the line "A man tells a story over and over so many times he becomes the story. In that way, he is immortal." Gray's widow, Kathie Russo, has said “You know, Spalding cried after he saw that movie. I just think it gave him permission. I think it gave him permission to die.” ('' New York Magazine '' February 2 , 2004 ) DEATH When Gray was first declared missing, his profile was featured on the FOX Network show '' America's Most Wanted ''. On March 7 , 2004 , the New York City Medical Examiner 's office reported that Gray's body had been pulled from the East River . It is believed that he jumped off the side of the Staten Island Ferry . In light of a suicide attempt in 2002, and the fact that his mother had taken her own life in 1967, suicide was the suspected cause of death. It was reported that Gray was working on a new monologue at the time of his death, and that the subject matter of the piece – the Ireland car crash and his subsequent attempts to recover from his injuries – might have triggered his final bout of depression. Gray was survived by his wife, three children, and his brothers Rockwell, an English professor in St. Louis, Missouri , and Channing, arts writer for the '' Providence Journal ''. POSTHUMOUS WORKS In 2005, Gray's unfinished final monologue was published in a hardcover edition entitled ''''. Running 39 pages, the monologue — which Gray had performed in one of his last public appearances — is augmented by two additional pieces he also performed at the time, a short remembrance called "The Anniversary" and an open letter to New York City written in the wake of the September 11 Attacks . Also included in the book is an extensive collection of remembrances and tributes from fellow performers and friends. Spalding Gray’s voice is still being heard through the resurrection of his journal entries in the 2007 play '''' at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City. The concept for this play was derived by Gray's widow. The show includes a cast of four actors as well as one revolving cast member. CULTURAL REFERENCES
FILMOGRAPHY Below is a chronological filmography. Movies written and performed by Spalding Gray
Other works
BIBLIOGRAPHY (All are based on monologues unless noted)
EXTERNAL LINKS
--Further reading--
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