Spalding Gray, 62, Actor and Monologuist, Is Confirmed Dead

A body that surfaced in the East River on Sunday was identified by the city medical examiner yesterday as that of Spalding Gray, the confessional monologuist and actor who disappeared two months ago.

The cause of death had not yet been determined, but the police were investigating reports that Mr. Gray, who had a history of depression, had committed suicide by jumping off the Staten Island ferry, said Paul J. Browne, the chief spokesman for the Police Department.

Mr. Gray, 62, practiced the art of storytelling with a quiet mania, transforming his travels, fascinations and traumas into such acclaimed works as "Swimming to Cambodia" and "Monster in a Box." He almost always appeared seated behind a simple desk, with a glass of water and some notes.

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This talent was perhaps never better displayed than in "Swimming to Cambodia," his 1984 monologue in which his experiences playing a small role in the movie "The Killing Fields," became a jumping off point for exploring the history and culture of war in Southeast Asia. That monologue was itself turned into a noted film, directed by Jonathan Demme, in 1987.

"Swimming" may have been Mr. Gray's most famous work, but for 25 years, he turned out a consistent stream of well-received pieces on subjects as varied as writing ("Monster in a Box," 1990) and illness ("Gray's Anatomy," 1993), to less weighty issues like learning to ski ("It's a Slippery Slope," 1996) and performing while high on LSD ("Point Judith," 1980)....

In addition to film versions of several of his monologues, Mr. Gray appeared in nearly 40 movies, including "True Stories" (1986), "Beaches" (1988), "The Paper" (1994) and "Beyond Rangoon" (1995); he also appeared on Broadway in 1988 as the Stage Manager in "Our Town," and in 2000 as a political candidate in "Gore Vidal's The Best Man."

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