He'll forever have the heart of his beloved Gidget.
On Monday September 2nd, actor and singer James Darren passed away in Los Angeles, California. He was 88 years old.
Darren was born in 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvani as James William Ercolani. From a young age, he aspired to be an entertainer. As a teenager, he took the train to New York to study with Stella Adler. However, his big break came when had the chance to meet with Joyce Selznick, the niece of David O. Selznick after going to visit a photographer for a head shot.
His first film role came in 1956 with Rumble on the Docks. This resulted in Darren receiving hundreds of letters. However, his heartthrob status came when starred opposite Sandra Dee and Cliff Robertson in the 1959 hit film Gidget.
Despite not being a surfer or a strong swimmer, Darren played Moondoggie, a young man the the title character soon develops a crush on. Gidget helped to popularize the surfing and beach party craze of cinema and resulted in Darren appearing in two more Gidget films.
Moondoggie however was not just an attractive man but also an excellent singer. Despite also having never sung professionally before, Darren recorded the movie's theme which reached to number 41 on the Billboard pop chart. Two of his other singles "Goodbye Cruel World" and "Her Royal Majesty" reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Things did hit a bit of a dry spell though after his final Gidget apperance in 1963. This was despite appearing the in the 1961 World War II drama The Guns of Navarone. Darren did however gain some nobility for his starring role on The Time Tunnel. The sci-fi television show aired in the late 1960s but was ultimately short-lived.
Nevertheless, this was far from the end of Darren's career. In 1970, he met Buddy Hackett in Los Angeles and the two peformed in a comedy-music act for twelve years. Darren also went on to gain guest starring roles on shows such as The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Hawaii Five-O. Finally in the 1980s, he appeared as regular on the police drama T.J. Hooker opposite William Shatner.
Darren appeared on the show from 1982 to 1986. During this time, he noticed for one upcoming sequence that no director was listed and asked if he could give it a try. The attempt was a success and led him to directing several episodes of shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. Darren remained active as a performer though. He was later cast in the recurring role of a lounge singer on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The role and popularity encouraged him and he went to release new albums and continue touring. Darren's final acting role came in 2017 with Lucky directed by John Carroll Lynch.
James Darren passed away in his sleep. According to his son Jim, this was a result of congestive heart failure despite being due for an aortic valve replacement. In addition to Jim, Darren is survived by his wife Evy, his two other sons Christian and Anthony, his brother John and five grandchildren.
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