James Darren, the 1960s teen heartthrob known for his role in the surfer movie Gidget, has died. He was 88.
Unfortunately, doctors couldn't save the actor, who was considered too weak for an aortic valve replacement. The news was confirmed by his son Jim Moret, a journalist for Inside Edition.
“I always thought he would pull through,” Moret said, “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”
Darren first found fame as Moondoggie, the handsome surfer and love interest of Gidget in the 1959 movie of the sane name starring Sandra Dee.
Darren appeared in two sequels, 1961’s Gidget Goes Hawaiian and 1963’s Gidget Goes to Rome. Like many actors of the decade, Darren was a sometime singer, scoring a top hit with 1961's "Goodbye Cruel World."
He described the moment he realized he was famous decades later to Los Angeles Magazine.
“The defining moment was when I was at a studio in San Francisco and word got out that I was there,” Darren said in 2015.
“Thousands of girls were screaming out front. When I had to leave the building, they tackled me to the ground and pulled pieces of my hair out. The police had to rescue me and took me to the roof until things settled down. It was total pandemonium.”
Over the course of a varied career, Darren also appeared in TV shows like the 1960s sci-fi series The Time Tunnel and the 1980s police drama TJ Hooker, starring William Shatner.
Darren stayed busy into the 1990s with a role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where he played a holographic lounge singer.
Nancy Sinatra, daughter of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra, issued a statement calling Darren "one of my dearest, closest friends."
One of my dearest, closest friends in all the world, of all my life has passed away. Godfather to my daughter, AJ. Wishing him a fast & beautiful journey through the Universe & beyond. Godspeed, sweet Jimmy. My heart is torn but full of love for Evy, Christian, Anthony & Jimmy Jr pic.twitter.com/n3WxuLzlK8
— Nancy Sinatra (@NancySinatra) September 2, 2024
Beyond acting, Darren also directed on shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place.
He is survived by wife Evy; sons Jim Moret, Christian Darren and Tony Darren; and five grandchildren.
