Former Childstar Jay North (TV's 'Dennis the Menace') Turns 73

Photo bymodernmic.com

Dennis the Menace actor Jay North is now 73 years old. This is his story.

A Closer Look

On August 3, 1951, Jay North was born Jay Waverly North, Jr., in Los Angeles, and seven years later, began acting on TV on shows like Wanted: Dead or Alive, and 77 Sunset Strip.

In 1959, North also appeared in two movies on the big screen: the Western The Miracle of the Hills and The Big Operator.

That same year, with over 500 children auditioning, North was chosen by Dennis the Menace cartoon creator Hank Ketcham to star in the TV adaptation of the legendary comic strip.

Almost immediately, North found fame with his portrayal of the mischievous Dennis Mitchell on Dennis the Menace, which originally aired on CBS from 1959 to 1963. The series also starred Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry as North's TV parents.

However, it was the young lad's on-screen association with senior neighbor Mr. Wilson, played by Joseph Kearns, that was at the center of the show's comic exploits.

Beyond Menace

After Dennis the Menace folded in 1963, North starred in the acclaimed, if short-lived, TV series, Maya. However, like many former child stars whose fame eventually alludes them North had a challenging time finding work.

Meanwhile, too, behind the camera, North did not have the most positive childhood, and his adult years also proved to be a challenge.

North married three times. In 1973, he wed Kathleen Brucher., a union that lasted only one year. In 1991, he married Rositia North, who he divorced only a few months later.

In between all of that, in 1988, North was devastated after he became the victim of a death hoax that swept the nation.

Conclusion

Unlike many former child stars who experienced challenging times behind the camera, Jay North has survived and thrived.