Michael Gray wore many hats over the years, but none fit quite like Billy Batson, the teenager who shouted “Shazam!” and became Captain Marvel in the 1970s CBS series Shazam! The role made Gray a teen heartthrob, and decades later, it remains his calling card.

Now, that chapter has closed. Gray has died at 75, leaving fans mourning the actor behind the legendary transformation.

Michael Gray, the actor who became a familiar face to television audiences as Billy Batson in the 1970s series Shazam!, has died at 75. A spokesperson confirmed that Gray passed away on October 16, 2026, in Palm Desert, California, from natural causes. His death followed a period of declining health, bringing an end to the life of a performer who left his mark on a generation of viewers.

Although Gray stepped away from mainstream television acting, his connection to the entertainment world never entirely disappeared. In the years before his death, the former teen heartthrob maintained a low-profile lifestyle, occasionally returning to celebrate the legacy of his best-known work. Beyond the screen, Gray devoted much of his professional life to children's theatre education, helping young performers discover their own creative talents.

Gray also built a life outside the entertainment industry alongside his wife, Stacy. The couple owned and operated a florist shop in West Hollywood for several years, running the business together before closing the storefront in the mid-2000s, and later in around the 2010s he came back to the entertainment industry. From his memorable television beginnings to his work with aspiring actors and his life as a small-business owner, Gray's story extended well beyond his superhero days and up until his death (via THR).

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Even after stepping away from the spotlight, Gray could never quite resist television calling him back.

Michael Gray was never entirely ready to leave television behind, even after stepping away from mainstream acting. Between 2015 and 2019, the former teen heartthrob voiced a fictionalized version of himself in four episodes of the animated comedy Archer, giving fans an unexpected reminder of his enduring connection to the screen.

Gray also embraced his place in television history, appearing at pop culture conventions such as Pasadena Comic-Con to meet fans and revisit his days as Billy Batson. In 2023, he made a particularly fitting return in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, sharing a lighthearted on-screen moment with Zachary Levi, who revealed he was living from paycheck to paycheck. The cameo brought Gray back to the superhero world that had first made him famous, neatly bookending a career that began with a magic word.

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How did you get to be a fan of Michael Gray? Let us know in the comments!