George Cadogan Gardner McKay (June 10, 1932 – November 21, 2001) was an American actor, artist, and author.

He is best known for the lead role in the TV series Adventures in Paradise, based loosely on the writings of James Michener.

His character, Adam Troy, is a Korean War veteran who purchased the two-masted 82-foot (25 m) schooner Tiki III, and sailed the South Pacific.

The family returned to the United States shortly before the outbreak of World War II; McKay and his older brother, Hugh, lived with grandparents in Lexington, Kentucky.

He dropped out of school at the age of 19 following the death of his father and moved to Greenwich Village where he worked as a sculptor and writer.

McKay left MGM and had television guest roles on Death Valley Days, The Silent Service, and Jefferson Drum.

[6] In 1957–1958, McKay played United States Army Lieutenant Dan Kelly in the 38-episode syndicated western series Boots and Saddles, with co-stars Jack Pickard and Patrick McVey.

Dominick Dunne was searching for an actor to star in his planned Adventures in Paradise when he spotted McKay at the studio coffee shop.

"[8] Although previously unknown to the public, McKay was featured on the cover of the July 6, 1959 issue of Life just two months before the series premiered.

[9] During the series' run, McKay had small roles in several Fox films, including Holiday for Lovers (1959) and The Right Approach (1961).

McKay's final film was the 1968 I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew, written and directed by Richard L. Bare.

"[11] McKay had just decided to end his acting career, when he got a phone call from the noted director George Cukor, offering him the opportunity to star in a romantic comedy film opposite Marilyn Monroe.

[17][18] A verse by McKay became the lyrics for the song "Black Bean Soup" sung by the actor and singer David Soul.

Gardner bought a wooded property in Beverly Hills and kept a menagerie of animals including lions, cheetahs, dogs, and a monkey which he brought back from his sojourn to South America.

Memorial ID 6001210 Find-a-Grave Gardner McKay is mentioned in the 1983 song, "We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About", by Jimmy Buffett that appeared on his One Particular Harbour album.