Gerrit Graham, Phantom of the Paradise’s Beef, Dies at 77

Photo: 20th Century Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

Gerrit Graham, who left an indelible mark on cult cinema as glam-rock shill Beef in Phantom of the Paradise, has died. He was 77. According to Variety, he had lung disease. Graham got his start collaborating with Brian De Palma. He starred in early De Palma joints like Hi, Mom! and Greetings alongside Robert De Niro. Aside from acting, Graham was a prodigious writer. He contributed to the early Disney renaissance and even co-wrote a song with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir.

Graham was born in New York City in 1949. He attended Columbia University, meeting De Palma when he was the head of the college-theater company the Columbia Players. His first film with De Palma, Greetings, came out in 1968. Besides working with De Palma, Graham co-starred in Used Cars for Robert Zemeckis, Pretty Baby for Louis Malle, C.H.U.D. II, and It’s Alive III. He was a prolific TV guest actor, appearing on multiple Star Trek properties, Family Matters, and The Larry Sanders Show. 

Graham began screenwriting with teleplays for the ’80s version of The Twilight Zone. He contributed to the scripts of Oliver & Company and The Little Mermaid, and he co-wrote the Mickey Mouse version of The Prince and the Pauper with his brother Sam and Chris Hubbell. In 1989, he co-wrote the Grateful Dead’s “Victim or the Crime” with Bob Weir. The song appears on the band’s album Built to Last. 

Edgar Wright eulogized Graham on Instagram, particularly highlighting his performance as Beef. Wright called Graham “simply off-the-charts amazing. He’s a constant joy, from his unforgettable line readings to those insane dance moves. It’s a joyously outrageous performance in a film that raises the roof with its sheer energy. If you haven’t yet discovered this solid-gold cult classic, I urge you to pay tribute at the altar of Beef as soon as you can.”