Gene Anthony Ray
Date of birth	May 24, 1962
Place of birth	Harlem, New York
Date of death	November 14, 2003
Place of death	New York City, New York

Gene Anthony Ray (May 24, 1962 – November 14, 2003) was an American actor and dancer, who is best known for his portrayal of the street smart dancer Leroy in the 1980 motion picture Fame and the television spin-off which aired from 1982-1987. Born in Harlem, New York on May 24, 1962, Ray grew up in the neighborhood of West 153rd Street. He attended the New York High School of the Performing Arts, the inspiration for the film Fame, but was kicked out after one year. “It was too disciplined for this wild child of mine,” his mother has been quoted as saying. Image File history File links Gene001. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Harlem is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, long known as a major black cultural and business center. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining until the end of the year. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Big Apple Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining until the end of the year. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Fame is a 1980 musical film directed by Alan Parker. ... Fame was an American television series that ran from 1982 to 1987. ... This article is about the Harlem neighborhood in New York City. ...

Ray also studied dance at the Julia Richman High School, where he would audition for Fame choreographer Louis Falco. Much like his Fame character, Ray had little professional training, but a raw talent that won him his role for the film.

Despite being a hit as a film, the 1982 television spin off of Fame only lasted one year on NBC before being cancelled. The show was later syndicated by MGM Television from 1983 to 1987. Ray also appeared in the films Out Of Sync (1995) which was directed by his Fame co-star Debbie Allen and the 1996 Whoopi Goldberg comedy Eddie. NBC, (Formerly an acronym for the National Broadcasting Company until 2004), is an American television and radio network based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... MGM Television (first known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, and later MGM/UA Television) is an American television production/distribution company that was launched in 1955. ... Debbie Allen (born Deborrah Kaye Allen on January 16, 1950 in Houston, Texas) is an American actress, choreographer, film director, television producer and a member of the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities. ... Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson, November 13, 1955), is an Academy Award, Daytime Emmy Award, Golden Globe, Tony, BAFTA and Grammy Award-winning American comedian, film actress and radio DJ. Although her father was a Protestant preacher, Goldberg says that her family is of mixed religious heritage - including Catholic...

Ray died from complications of a stroke on November 14, 2003 in Manhattan, New York. He was HIV-positive at the time of his death. For other uses, see Stroke (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system. ...

Filmography

• Fame (film) (1980)
• Vendredi ou la vie savauge (1981(TV Film)
• Fame (1982 TV series) (1982)
• Out of Sync (1995)
• Eddie (1996)
• The Drew Carey TV Show (1997)
• Kids From Fame(2003) (documentary)

Fame is a 1980 musical film directed by Alan Parker. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fame was an American television series that ran from 1982 to 1987. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eddie may refer to: People Eddie Husney, greatest basketball player ever under the age of 30. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Obituaries

• "Fame's" Leroy Dies

External links

• Gene Anthony Ray at the Internet Movie Database