American actor Michael Gray, recognized internationally for portraying teenager Billy Batson on the 1970s television series Shazam!, has died at the age of 75. He passed away on Friday (16) in Palm Desert, California, from natural causes.
His agent and representatives confirmed the death to the public on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Actor John Davey, a castmate who shared the title role on the television show, paid tribute to his longtime colleague. “Mike was just a loving, sweet guy with a great sense of humor. He loved acting, loved doing the show and, in recent years, loved appearing at comic-cons. He really enjoyed meeting and chatting with the fans. Mike was a wonderful man – I don’t think he ever stopped smiling,” Davey stated.
Breakout role on CBS and memories from the set
Born on September 2, 1951, in Chicago and raised in Miami Beach, Gray achieved his widest international recognition on the American television network CBS, where he headlined the live-action adaptation of Shazam! across three seasons. On the Saturday morning program, he played Billy Batson, the young mortal alter ego who transformed into the adult superhero Captain Marvel whenever he spoke the magic word that gave the show its title, traveling across the country alongside his mentor, played by Les Tremayne.
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Separate actors portrayed the adult superhero after the transformation: Jackson Bostwick originated the role during the first season before John Davey took over for the remainder of the run. Speaking during a panel at the Comic-Con pop culture convention in 2012, Gray looked back on the demands of the production. “I didn’t know the character or the story when I was initially cast, so I had to be a quick study – so it was fun and exhausting, challenging and thrilling, all at once,” the actor recalled at the event.
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Screen credits in the United States and television broadcasts in Brazil
Before and after his tenure on the superhero series, the performer appeared in several motion pictures and prime-time television shows, while his signature series also gained a wide audience on free-to-air television in South America. His screen appearances and broadcast history include the following milestones:
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- 1970: roles in the feature films Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Myra Breckinridge, the ABC television movie Run, Simon, Run alongside Burt Reynolds, and the sitcom The Flying Nun;
- 1972: a major television break in the main cast of the NBC series The Little People, acting opposite Brian Keith and Shelley Fabares;
- 1973: guest appearances as Marcia’s boyfriend Jeff on the family sitcom The Brady Bunch and a role on the medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D.;
- September 1974 to October 1976: original three-season broadcast of Shazam! in the United States on CBS;
- 1975 and the late 1980s: Brazilian television broadcasts of Shazam! on TV Globo, Brazil’s largest commercial television network, followed by reruns on the SBT network;
- 2023: a cameo appearance in the theatrical feature film Shazam! Fury of the Gods, starring actor Zachary Levi.
Surviving relatives in California and memorial plans
In his personal life, the actor had been married since 1994 to Stacy Benon Gray. Along with his wife, the performer is survived by two stepchildren, Ryan Cooper and Laurel Cooper, and his son-in-law, Lee Barker, who formed his immediate family circle in California.
At the time his representatives publicly announced his passing, family members and spokespeople had not released information regarding funeral services or a burial location. Any updates on memorial ceremonies remain pending confirmation from his estate.
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