Gerrit Graham, 'Phantom of the Paradise' actor, dies at 77
Gerrit Graham, the actor who played glam rocker Beef in Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise and later co-wrote a song for the Grateful Dead, died on Tuesday in Rhinebeck, N.Y., Variety reported. He was 77 and had suffered from lung disease, among other ailments.
Graham was born in New York City to John and Janet. He lived in Rhinebeck for the last 30 years of his life. He married his wife Deborah in 1982, and they had two children.
His screen career began with De Palma. Graham appeared alongside Robert De Niro in Greetings and Hi Mom!, two early features from the director. The parts placed him in a loose group of New York performers who worked with De Palma at the start of the 1970s.
His best-known role followed in 1974. In Phantom of the Paradise, a rock-music fable about a disfigured composer and a corrupt producer, Graham played Beef. Beef is the flamboyant stage performer brought in to front the production, and the performance made Graham a lasting cult figure.
Work followed across film and television for more than three decades. His film credits included Demon Seed, Pretty Baby, National Lampoon's Class Reunion and Child's Play 2. He played a used car salesman in Robert Zemeckis' Used Cars.
On television he moved between comedy, drama and science fiction. His credits included episodes of Seinfeld, Laverne and Shirley, The Wonder Years, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. The range kept him in steady work long after his early film roles.
Music was a parallel thread. Graham co-wrote "Victim or the Crime" with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. The band recorded it for Built to Last, its 1989 studio album.
He also wrote for the screen. His credits included work on Disney's The Little Mermaid and Oliver & Company, as well as episodes of The Twilight Zone. He co-wrote Disney's adaptation of Prince and the Pauper with his brother Chris Hubbell.
