James Darren, who is best known for his roles in T.J. Hooker, The Time Tunnel, and Gidget, has passed away. He was 88 years old.
Darren’s son, Jim Moret, a correspondent for Insider Edition, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter. Moret shared that the former teen idol and pop singer died in his sleep on Monday, Sept. 2, while at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
James Darren originally went to the medical center for an aortic valve replacement but was deemed “too weak” for the surgery. Although he decided to go home, the actor ended up returning.
“I always thought he would pull through,” Moret explained about his father’s passing. “Because he was so cool. He was always cool.”
Born in June 1936 as James William Ercolani, Darren rose to success in the late ’50s and early ’60s. While he wasn’t a surfer, he still scored the role of Moondoggie (aka Jerry Matthews). He starred opposite Sandra Dee in Gidget, Deborah Walley in Gidget Goes Hawaiian, and Cindy Carol in Gidget Goes to Rome.
In the late ’60s, he became Dr. Tony Newman in The Time Tunnel, starring alongside Robert Colbert. Although he had said he wasn’t interested in doing any more TV roles, Darren ended up joining William Shatner for the second season of T.J. Hooker, playing Officer Jim Corrigan.
He directed for the first time in 1986 as an “emergency fill-in” during the show’s final season. He directed multiple episodes, including Werewolf, The A-Team, and Beverly Hills, 90210.
Darren’s final acting role was in the 2017 film Lucky as Paulie. Others starring alongside him in the movie were Harry Daen Stanton, David Lynch, Ron Livingston, and Ed Begley Jr.
Darren is survived by his wife, Evy Norlund, and his three sons, Jim, Christian, and Anthony.
James Darren Once Reflected On Teen Throbber Days
During a 2015 interview with Los Angeles Magazine, James Darren reflected on his popularity with the young ladies during the early years of his acting career.
“The defining moment was when I was at a studio in San Francisco and word got out that I was there,” Darren explained. “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.”
He then spoke about what led to him directing. Rick Husky persuaded Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg to put me in T.J. Hooker. The cast was William Shatner, Adrian Zmed, and Heather Locklear. I did that from 1980 to about ’84. When we had one show left on T.J. Hooker, it didn’t have a director assigned. I asked Rick, ‘Do you think I could direct it?’
Darren pointed out, “I didn’t even know what I was talking about! Deep down inside my guts were spinning. Rick said, ‘If I don’t do it, you can.’”