Vernon Gray's early life was marked by a strong desire to pursue a career in acting, a dream that was met with resistance from his family. Born Vernon Raham-Gray in Elk Point, Alta., Gray's family, including his father, Arthur Raham, a railway agent, and three engineering brothers, were all opposed to his aspirations.
Despite this, Gray had been acting since his high school days and continued to pursue his passion while working with an automobile firm in Windsor, Ont. He joined the Windsor Theatre Guild and later the Ottawa Repertory Company, honing his craft and gaining valuable experience.
It was during this time that British film producer Betty Box first spotted Gray in a local television program in Fort William, Ontario. She was impressed by his talent and encouraged him to move to Britain, where he began to make a name for himself on the West End stage.
Gray's breakthrough role came when he played the part of "Duke" in the Broadway hit, "Stalag 17," which had a short run. He also appeared with several provincial theatre companies, including the Repertory Theatre in Windsor, Berkshire, where he played the role of Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman."
This performance caught the attention of Box once again, who hired him for her film "A Day to Remember," in which he played the role of Marvin, a corporal in the United States Army. Box was impressed by Gray's leading man potential, stating, "At last, a new Man for British pictures."
Gray went on to appear in several more films, including "To Paris with Love" (1954) and "The Gold Express" (1955),in which he had his first and only starring movie role.
