Actor James Darren has died aged 88.
The US actor famously starred as Vic Fontaine in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as Moondoggie in the Gidget films, and as Officer James Corrigan in the police drama TJ Hooker. He passed away after being treated for heart issues.
Darren died peacefully in his sleep on Monday (September 2) at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, his son Jim Moret confirmed. Paying tribute to his famous dad, Jim said “He was a good man.
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“He was very talented. He was forever young.” Discussing the veteran’s heart issues, Jim told The Hollywood Reporter: “‘I always thought he would pull through. Because he was so cool. He was always cool.”
The actor had entered the hospital to get his aortic valve replaced but was deemed too weak to have the surgery. Jim also said his father was able to express his love for his family while being treated at the cardiac unit, and that he was grateful he was able to embrace his role as surfer Moondoggie in the Gidget franchise.
Darren spoke fondly of his time in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where he appeared as the holographic lounge singer Vic Fontaine. He said the role was “one of the most enjoyable” he ever played.
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
A successful singer, Darren’s hit Goodbye Cruel World reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961 and sol over one million copies. He entered the top ten again in 1962 with his song Her Royal Majesty.
As a director he worked on action-based series such as Hunter, Renegade, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. In 1983, he said of his career: “Every career has its hills and valleys. The most important thing is that you are happy with you. Not anybody’s career, no one that I know of, has always been climbing.
“It always levels out and you want to make sure you have good investments and financial security and bread on the table. If projects aren’t coming to you, then you seek them out and you try to develop and put projects together
The star shares son Jim, a correspondent for Inside Edition, with his first wife Gloria Terlitsky. He went on to marry Evy Norlund (Miss Denmark 1958) two years after his divorce from Evy, and they share sons Christian and Anthony.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
