News Report
James Darren, the celebrated actor, director, and singer renowned for his role as Moondoggie in the 1959 film “Gidget,” has passed away at the age of 88. This news was reported by Variety on Monday.
According to sources at Variety, Darren died at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. His son, Jim Moret, who serves as the chief correspondent for Inside Edition, confirmed the news. CNN has reached out to both Darren’s and Moret’s agents for further comment.
In a response to a tribute posted on X by singer Nancy Sinatra, Moret expressed gratitude with the words: “Nancy My father loved you. Thank you so much for your kind and loving words.”
With a career that began in 1956, Darren had an extensive portfolio in film and television. However, it was his role in “Gidget” that catapulted him to heartthrob status among teenage audiences. Reflecting on his rise to fame in a 2015 interview with Los Angeles magazine, Darren recounted a defining moment when he first recognized his celebrity status.
“The defining moment was when I was at a studio in San Francisco and word got out that I was there,” Darren shared in the interview. “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.”
In the original “Gidget,” Darren portrayed Moondoggie, a surfer who rescues the film’s protagonist from a kelp bed and ultimately becomes her love interest. He also reprised this role in two follow-up films: 1961’s “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and 1963’s “Gidget Goes to Rome.”
Darren’s acting career included supporting roles in popular series such as “The Time Tunnel,” “TJ Hooker,” alongside William Shatner, and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” He was also known for directing episodes of hit shows like “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Melrose Place.”
Born in Philadelphia, Darren began his acting studies in New York before signing with Columbia Pictures, as reported by Variety. He is survived by his wife Evy, three children, and five grandchildren.
