Billy Gray

Billy Gray was born on January 13, 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA as William Thomas Gray.

Those who fondly recall him in the archetypal 1950s family sitcom Father Knows Best (1954) may be surprised to learn that when the series debuted in 1954, it did so poorly in the ratings that CBS canceled it in March of 1955. A flood of protests came from viewers insisting that the show be reinstated. It was moved to an earlier time, and it gradually became a hit.

Was just 12 years younger than Patricia Neal, who played his mother in Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951).

Portrays Bryan Foy as a teen in The Seven Little Foys (1955).

His resemblance to Martin Sheen was exploited in the film short Porklips Now (1980), a parody of Apocalypse Now (1979), where he played the character of Health Inspector Will Dullard, based on Sheen's performance of Capt. Benjamin L. Willard.

In July 1998 he settled a libel suit he brought against noted film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, known for his annual guides on available movies and videos. In all guides from 1974-98, Maltin mistakenly listed Gray as a real-life drug addict and pusher in the critique of Dusty and Sweets McGee (1971); he appeared in the film only as an actor. Part of the settlement required that Maltin publicly apologize for the 27-year long defamation of character. He did so during a press conference on the morning of July 18, 1998.

Profiled in the 2016 book "X Child Stars: Where Are They Now?" by Kathy Garver and Fred Ascher.