Arcigay President Sergio Lo Giudice and Gene Anthony Ray in Bologna
‘Actor Gene Anthony Ray, who rose to fame playing the character of black dancer Leroy Johnson in the American TV series 'Fame' ('Fam'), died on Friday in Manhattan at the age of 41. The actor, who was HIV-positive, died following complications from a stroke he suffered last June.
Ray had several things in common with Leroy in 'Fame.' The actor, in fact, had never wanted to take professional dance classes, but he was gifted with an enormous talent that often left choreographers astonished. In 'Fam,' Ray was a student at a New York art school, where the kids took dance, singing, and acting lessons.
Inspired by Alan Parker's 1980 film, the series first aired in Italy in 1983 on Raidue, while in the United States it debuted on the NBC network in 1992.
Born May 24, 1962, in Harlem, Ray has worked in show business, almost always in roles related to the character of Leroy. He also starred in films such as 'Out of Syn,' directed by Debbie Allen, who played a dance teacher in 'Fam,' and in 'Eddi,' opposite Whoopi Goldberg. As his manager, Selma Rubin, explained, one of Ray's last works was a documentary for the BBC about 'Fam.' Filmed in Los Angeles in April 2003, 'Fame Remember My Name' has not yet been aired.
