James Darren, Teen Idol Actor in ‘Gidget,’ Singer and Director, Dies at 88

James Darren, who went from teen idol status acting in youth-oriented movies like “Gidget” to becoming an actor in TV shows such as “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “T.J. Hooker” and a singer and director, died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 88.

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His son Jim Moret said that he had been able to express his love for his family while being treated in the cardiac unit. “He was a good man. He was very talented,” Moret said. “He was forever young.”

Moret said he was grateful that his father had been able to embrace his signature role as the surfer Moondoggie in the “Gidget” movie and that he continued to interact with his fans.

Born in Philadelphia, he studied acting with Stella Adler in New York and was signed to Columbia Pictures, where his first role was in “Rumble on the Docks.” He went on to appear in films including “Operation Madball” and “Gunmen’s Walk” before being cast in the 1959 teen movie “Gidget,” starring Sandra Dee and Cliff Robertson. Darren also sang the title track for the hit movie, which was based on the experiences of a teenaged surfer girl in Malibu and later became a popular TV series.

The “Gidget” theme song launched a successful singer career for Darren, who had a gold record with “Goodbye Cruel World” in 1961 and released at least 14 albums. He continued to appear in feature films including “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Gene Krupa Story,” “All the Young Men” and “Because They’re Young.”

He reprised his role as Moondoggie in “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and again in “Gidget Goes to Rome,” though he was tired of the typecasting by then.

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Moving into television, he starred in the series “The Time Tunnel” and after a brief sojourn in Italy appearing in Jess Franco’s “Venus in Furs,” he went on to guest-star on numerous series including “Love, American Style,” “Fantasy Island” and “The Love Boat.”

Darren was a regular on “T.J. Hooker” from 1983 to 1986 and also moved into TV directing, working on series including “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Melrose Place.”

He found a new generation of fans in 1998 as Vic Fontaine, the holographic lounge singer on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

He is survived by his wife Evy; sons Jim Moret, Christian Darren and Tony Darren; and five grandchildren.

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