Gig Young was born Byron Ellsworth Bar in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He took the stage name of Gig Young after he played "Gig Young" in 1942 in the film The Gay Sisters, the name stuck and Byron became known as Gig.

He was in the United States Coast Guard and even though his career was soaring, he served in World War II. He became a notable supporting actor. He was most recognized for characters that typically played the carefree attitude with a drinking problem. Two such films, Come Fill the Cup and Teacher's Pet earned him the coveted nominations for Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor.

Young would eventually claim an Oscar for one of his performances. In They Shoot Horses, Don't They, he claimed the Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards. Jane Fonda was also in the film and Young finally took home his only Oscar.

Gig Young would've been the voice heard on Charlie's Angels when he was hired to play the vocal part of Charlie Townsend. However, it would never materialize because John Forsythe would be brought in as a replacement. Gig was beginning to face career problems due to his own alcohol abuse.

Gig Young's love life included five marriages. One marriage produced a daughter who he would later only leave ten dollars in his will. Another marriage was to actress Elizabeth Montgomery who played the lead in Bewitched, a popular television show in the seventies. His fifth wife ultimately met her death by Gig's hand. He shot and killed her before turning the gun on himself in 1969.