Gerrit Graham, Phantom of the Paradise actor, dies at 76
Actor Gerrit Graham has died at the age of 76.
He died on Tuesday, 15 September in Rhinebeck, New York, of lung disease and other health complications, according to Deadline. Deadline's report on 19 September is the most recent account of his age, cause of death and place of death.
Graham was born on 27 November 1949 in New York City to parents John and Janet. He trained at Columbia University, where he headed the Columbia Players theatre company, the university's student theatre group. The post put him in charge of the student group during his time at the university.
He made his screen debut in Brian De Palma's 1968 film Greetings. He later starred alongside Robert De Niro in Greetings and Hi Mom!, according to Variety.
In 1974, he played glam rocker Beef in Phantom of the Paradise. His other film roles included a used-car salesman in Robert Zemeckis's Used Cars and an appearance in Pretty Baby, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
On television, Graham appeared in episodes of Seinfeld, Laverne & Shirley and The Wonder Years. He played separate roles in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, two series in the long-running Star Trek franchise. He also wrote two episodes of The Twilight Zone, the anthology series in which each episode tells a standalone story.
Graham wrote songs with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. The pair co-wrote "Victim or The Crime," which was recorded by the Grateful Dead for their album Built To Last.
He also worked as a screenwriter on Disney's The Little Mermaid and Oliver & Company. He co-wrote Disney's Prince and the Pauper adaptation with Sam Graham and Chris Hubbell.
What makes this career stand out on paper is its spread. Few performers move between screen acting, television writing and songwriting, alongside screenwriting for animation.
Graham married Deborah Cooper in 1982 and had two children with her. He later moved to Rhinebeck, New York, to care for his mother and lived there for 30 years. The move kept him in the town for three decades.
He is survived by his brother Sam, sons Jack and Henry, and four grandchildren, Nolan, Micah, Vera and Joey.
