Written By Rick Ellis, Wednesday, November 19th, 2003

Gene Anthony Ray, an actor and dancer best known for his roles in the 1980 movie "Fame" and its spin-off television series, died Friday in Manhattan. He was 41.

Ray died of complications from a stroke he had in June and was also HIV positive, said his mother, Jean Ray.

Born on May 24, 1962, in Harlem, his career began at Julia Richmond High School, where he performed in a dance class there and later auditioned for Louis Falco, the choreographer for the film "Fame." That 1980 movie went on to win Academy Awards for best song and original score.

Like Leroy, the rebellious character he played in "Fame," Ray attended New York's High School of the Performing Arts. Ray dropped out after a year. "It was too disciplined for this wild child of mine," Mrs. Ray said.

Ray returned to the role of Leroy in 1982 for the "Fame" television series. The show was canceled after its first year by NBC because of poor ratings but was later picked up by MGM Television, which distributed it in syndication from 1983 to 1987.

His other film credits include "Out of Sync" (1995), which was directed by his "Fame" co-star Debbie Allen, and "Eddie" (1996), which starred Whoopi Goldberg. His last television acting role was in December 1999, when he appeared as himself in an episode of the Showtime series "Linc's."

In 1982 he toured Britain, to perform with other "Fame" cast members in 10 concerts. "The Kids From Fame," a television special about the tour, was broadcast in the United States a year later.

His final project was a one-hour BBC reunion documentary, "Fame Remember My Name," which was taped in Los Angeles in April 2003 but has not yet been aired.