Most of us invest a lot of time into watching television and movies. In doing so, we often get to know the actors on a first-name basis. That is why it is so tragic when one of them passes away.
Unfortunately, we have sad news to pass along, as James Darren has passed away at the age of 88. Darren, who is known for television shows such as TJ Hooker, Gidget, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine died in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
At this time, not much is known about the cause of Darren’s death but his son, Jim Morris, said that he was having heart issues when he was a patient at Cedars-Sinai cardiac unit.
Although it is just rumors, Darren may have gone to the hospital for an aortic valve replacement but he was too weak to undergo the procedure safely. They sent him home but he was back in the hospital in a short time.
His son Jim had the following to say: “I always thought he would pull through because he was so cool. He was always cool.”
Darren was a teen idol in the late 1950s when he took up the role of a surfer, Moondoggy, on the television show Gidget. He was then part of that show in two sequels.
He also played Jim Corrigan, a police officer on TJ Hooker and was in 66 episodes over four seasons.
Along with his acting, he was also a singer and reportedly wrote the theme song for the television show, Gidget. We hope that his family finds peace during this difficult time.