Gig Young (born Byron Elsworth Barr; November 4, 1913 – October 19, 1978) was an American stage, film, and television actor.

Cloud, Minnesota, he and his older siblings were raised by his parents, John and Emma Barr, in Washington, D.C., where his father was a reformatory chef.

In 1942, six months into his Warner Brothers contract, he was given his first notable role in the feature film The Gay Sisters[6] as a character named "Gig Young".

[13] Then he supported John Wayne in Wake of the Red Witch (1948) at Republic Pictures and Glenn Ford in Columbia's Lust for Gold (1949).

[14] Young received critical acclaim for his dramatic work as an alcoholic in the 1951 film Come Fill the Cup with James Cagney, back at Warner Brothers.

In 2008, Martin Scorsese selected this film to open a Republic Pictures retrospective that he curated at New York's Museum of Modern Art, citing the movie's amazing energy and creativity.

"[12] During this time Young appeared on TV shows shot in New York such as Robert Montgomery Presents, Schlitz Playhouse, Producers' Showcase and Lux Video Theatre.

[18][19] He played a supporting role the same year in the Humphrey Bogart thriller The Desperate Hours and lost Katharine Hepburn to Spencer Tracy in Desk Set (1957).

He continued to appear on TV in such shows as The United States Steel Hour, Climax!, Goodyear Theatre and Studio One in Hollywood (the latter starring Elizabeth Montgomery, whom he married in 1956[20]).

Dean wears a cowboy outfit as he was taking a break during shooting of the 1956 film Giant while playing with a lasso and counseling the audience to drive carefully.

George Seaton saw Young on Broadway and cast him as a tipsy but ultimately charming intellectual in Teacher's Pet (1958) starring Clark Gable and Doris Day.

Young had a change of pace in a Clifford Odets drama starring Rita Hayworth, The Story on Page One (1959), although he was still second male lead, to Anthony Franciosa.

He had some excellent parts – all male leads – in TV adaptations of The Philadelphia Story (1959), The Prince and the Pauper, Ninotchka (1960) and The Spiral Staircase (1961).

Young returned to Broadway with Under the Yum-Yum Tree (1960–61) which ran for 173 performances, originating the role later played by Jack Lemmon on film.

Some announced film projects fell through, so he instead played second lead in another movie with Day, That Touch of Mink (1962), as Cary Grant's best friend.

[12] He was Elvis Presley's boxing promoter in Kid Galahad (1962), and lost Sophia Loren to Anthony Perkins in Five Miles to Midnight (1962).

[22] The charming con man he played on that show was one of Young's favorite roles, and raised his profile with the television viewing public.

During the filming of The Rogues, Young's alcoholism was starting to take a toll on his career; Larry Hagman had to be brought in as a substitute for the final two episodes.

[23] He supported Rock Hudson in the comedy Strange Bedfellows (1965), had the lead in a British horror film, The Shuttered Room (1967), and starred in a TV mystery movie, Companions in Nightmare (1968).

[24] Young won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Rocky, the alcoholic dance marathon emcee and promoter in the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.

[25] According to his fourth wife, Elaine Williams, "What he was aching for, as he walked up to collect his Oscar, was a role in his own movie—one that they could finally call 'a Gig Young movie.'

"[27] Young had a good part in the popular Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), also from ABC Pictures, and toured in Nobody Loves an Albatross (1970) in summer stock.

Originally cast as The Waco Kid, Young collapsed on the set of the comedy film Blazing Saddles during his first day of shooting due to alcohol withdrawal, and was fired by director Mel Brooks.

Young had a supporting role in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), directed by Sam Peckinpah, and was in a horror movie, A Black Ribbon for Deborah (1974).

However, Young's alcoholism prevented him from performing the role, even only as a voice actor, and he was replaced at the last minute by John Forsythe.

His last role was in the 1978 revised version of Game of Death, which was released nearly six years after the film's original star, Bruce Lee, died during production in 1973.

[33] Young married his fourth wife, real estate agent Elaine Williams, nine months after his divorce from Montgomery was final.

[38] Young was at one time under the care of the psychologist and psychotherapist Eugene Landy, who later had his professional California medical license revoked amid accusations of ethical violations and misconduct with patients.