Iconic Gidget and T.J. Hooker star James Darren dies aged 88-Brooke Ivey Johnson-Entertainment – Metro

James Darren has died at 88 (Picture: REX)

Actor, singer, and director James Darren has died at the age of 88.

Best known for his roles in classic films and television shows like Gidget, The Guns of Navarone, and T.J. Hooker, Darren was a fixture in Hollywood for over sixty years.

He died peacefully in his sleep Monday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles according to his son Jim Moret, who told TMZ that his father was being treated for heart issues.

Born James William Ercolani on June 8, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Darren moved to Hollywood in his twenties to pursue acting.He made his film debut in Rumble on the Docks in 1956.

His role as the dreamy surfer Moondoggie in the 1959 film Gidget made him a household name and a teen idol of his era.

Gidget was a hit, leading Darren to reprise his role in multiple sequels and become a heartthrob of the day, allowing him to launch a successful music career.

Darren’s successful career spanned over six decades(Picture: Arun Nevader/WireImage)

Darren was first known for his role as Moondoggie in the film Gidget (Picture: Getty Images)

His hits like Goodbye Cruel World and Her Royal Majesty reached the top of the charts in the early 1960s to the delight of his many teen fans.

Throughout the 70s and 80s he continued to appear in TV and film, appearing in shows like The Time Tunnel and The Love Boat and movies like films like The Guns of Navarone alongside Gregory Peck and David Niven.

But it was his role as Officer James Corrigan in the 1980s series T.J. Hooker alongside William Shatner that once again raised his star power, this time among a new generation.

Darren leveraged his heartthrob status into a successful music career (Picture: Getty Images)

Darren eventually broke into directing (Picture: Getty Images)

Darren also broke into directing in the 80s, directing episodes of popular TV shows like Hunter, The A-Team, and Melrose Place.

Younger fans will also remember him for his role as Vic Fontaine, a holographic nightclub singer in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the 1990s. The character, which became a fan favorite, often sang Darren’s own music.

Darren’s final acting performance was in Harry Dean Stanton’s 2017 and final film Lucky. 

Regarding his father’s death, Moret told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘I always thought he would pull through. Because he was so cool. He was always cool.’

Darren married Evy Norlund in 1960, and the pair went on to have three children.

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