Kevin Grantz (Kevin Grantz)

Kevin Grantz

Actor, Director. A distinguished veteran of stage and screen, he shall probably be remembered for his virtually definitive portrayals of George Washington. Raised in the itinerant lifestyle of a ‘military brat’, he eventually settled with his family in Fredericksburg, Virginia where he graduated from high school before attending Richmond’s Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as a theater arts major. While at VCU he made his screen debut in a movie in which students were being used as extras, his obvious talent garnering him a significant part despite his undergraduate status; Kevin made his ‘official’ bow in the 1986 miniseries “Dream West” and continued to gain experience on both local and national levels, becoming a regular presence on the Richmond theater circuit while being seen in the 1988 “Lincoln” and making his 1993 silver screen bow in “Lillian”. His physical resemblance to George Washington noted by a neighbor, he became part and later head of Virginia Patriots, a historical interpretation ensemble at Richmond’s Saint John’s Episcopal Church, site of Patrick Henry’s March 23, 1775 “Liberty or Death” speech; he perfected his portrayal and spent countless hours of study developing an encyclopedic knowledge of the General that enabled him to play Washington not only at Saint John’s but at Mount Vernon, the National Capitol, and Colonial Williamsburg where for a number of years he appeared in the Virginia Colonial Capital while representing the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation by taking his character on tour throughout the country. Occasionally he also portrayed Patrick Henry at Saint John’s and elsewhere, once remarking that he had to approach and present the men quite differently as, while Washington was aloof and austere, Mr. Henry was friendly and approachable. Not confining himself to history, Kevin was seen in multiple episodes of “Homicide: Life on the Street”, in the 1998 “Species II” and the world-destroyed-by-comet drama “Deep Impact”, and in 2000 was a Sheriff in “Sally Hemings: An American Scandal” and the head of the Secret Service in “The Contender”. Though kept busy in Hollywood, he directed and performed in numerous productions of Richmond’s Mystery Dinner Theater while on the screen he appeared in “The F.B.I. Files”, was both director and George Washington for 2007’s “Liberty or Death” in which Kevin McGranahan played Henry, starred in the 2011 “Devil’s Due” and 2012’s “The Salesman Cometh”, and earned his final credit as huckster L. Ron Hubbard in the 2014 “Church Secrets and Legends”. Kevin remained active until his sudden death from heart disease; at his demise a number of his movies were preserved on DVD. (bio by: Bob Hufford)

Born

  • March, 15, 1956
  • USA

Died

  • January, 01, 2015
  • USA

Other

  • Cremated

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