ACTOR
Gig Young
- Known for
- Game of Death (1978), They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), The Shuttered Room (1967), Le couteau dans la plaie (1962)
19 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
Gig Young is an actor best known for Game of Death, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and The Shuttered Room.
All facts (19)
- #001
Gig Young took on the role of the Waco Kid in Blazing Saddles (1974). Shortly after filming began, Mel Brooks replaced him with Gene Wilder because the alcoholic Young was suffering from delirium tremens on set.
- #002
His first wife, Sheila Stapler, was an actress. His second wife, Sophia Rosenstein, was a drama coach he met while she was working at Warner Brothers and who died of cancer a little over a year later. He had also been divorced from actress Elizabeth Montgomery before her Bewitched (1964) fame. His only child, Jennifer Young (born 1964), came from his fourth marriage, to real estate agent and occasional artist Elaine Young.
- #003
Although Gig's alcohol problem was widely known, some of his best roles were heavy drinkers, including Come Fill the Cup (1951), They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) and the role of Ray Whitehead on the series Gibbsville (1976).
- #004
His film career was interrupted by his World War II service in the Coast Guard, in which he served for three years in the Pacific.
- #005
After Warner Bros. did not renew his contract in 1948, he signed with Columbia, but he was unhappy with the promises that were not kept and kept turning down roles until his welcome there ran out.
- #006
Young is considered the ultimate victim of the Oscar curse, which stems from the fact that many Oscar winners have seen their careers decline or stall after receiving the industry's top prize from their peers. According to his fourth wife, Elaine Young, what bothered him as he walked up to collect his Oscar was the role in his own film that would finally let them call it "a Gig Young film." "Young was shattered when that opportunity did not materialize." According to Elaine, "For Gig the Oscar was literally the kiss of death, the end of the line."
- #007
He was once in a romantic relationship with the alcoholic Elaine Stritch. Their destructive relationship is poignantly discussed in Elaine's Tony Award-winning one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty (2002). Shortly after their engagement was called off, he met actress Elizabeth Montgomery.
- #008
When Gig's former manager, Martin Baum, became president of ABC Pictures, he insisted that Gig play Rocky, the loathsome dance marathon host in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). The film's backers and its star, Jane Fonda, were initially shocked and angry because Gig was known for comedy and had serious personal problems. The same support was given to another lead actor, Red Buttons, and the two actors relied on each other for consolation. Young and Buttons were magnificent, and Young won the Oscar. Baum also helped Gig land fairly substantial roles in Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974).
- #009
His father was the superintendent of the St. Cloud reformatory in Minnesota and also had his own home canning business.
- #010
He adopted the name Gig Young word for word, inspired by the character he played in The Gay Sisters (1942).
- #011
His daughter, Jennifer Young, was born in 1964.
- #012
"Gig knew real pain" — his manager, Martin Baum, speaking at the memorial service.
- #013
He appeared in four films with Doris Day: Young at Heart (1954), Teacher's Pet (1958), The Tunnel of Love (1958) and That Touch of Mink (1962).
- #014
He was portrayed by Steve Hughes in the film James Dean: Race with Destiny (1997).
- #015
He won a scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse and worked as a garage mechanic and parking attendant while he studied there.
- #016
He attended McKinley High School in Washington, D.C.
- #017
He was the former son-in-law of Robert Montgomery.
- #018
He was the former son-in-law of David S. Garber.
- #019
He was buried in a family plot in Green Hill Cemetery in Waynesville, North Carolina.
Continue through the archive
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb kaydı
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work