India, Sept. 19 -- Gerrit Graham, the character actor best remembered for playing the electrocuted glam-rock star Beef in Brian De Palma's 1974 cult musical "Phantom of the Paradise," has died at the age of 77. Graham died on Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Rhinebeck, New York, his ex-wife, Dede Taylor, told The Hollywood Reporter. The cause was complications from lung disease.

How Did Graham Build His Reputation As A Screen Character Actor?

Born in New York City on 27 November 1949, Graham was raised between St Louis, Chicago and Grosse Pointe, Michigan, before attending Columbia University, where he became involved with the school's theatre company, the Columbia Players, a few years after De Palma himself had graduated. The ...