Actor James Darren, known for his work on films includingย Gidgetย and TV shows such asย T.J. Hookerย andย Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,ย has died at the age of 88.
TMZ report that the veteran performer passed away in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles on Monday.
Darrenโs cause of death remains unknown a the time of writing, but the actorโs son, Jim Moret, reportedly toldย TMZย that his father was having heart issues and was a patient at Cedars-Sinaiโ cardiac unit.
Itโs believed that Darren had initially gone to hospital for an aortic valve replacement, only to be judged too weak to safely undergo the procedure.
He was subsequently sent home, but returned to hospital a short time later.
โI always thought he would pull through,โ his son Jimย said, โbecause he was so cool. He wasย alwaysย cool.โ
Darren shot to prominence as a teen idol after landing the role of surfer Moondoggie in 1959โsย Gidget.ย He reprised the role in the two sequelsย Gidget Goes Hawaiianย andย Gidget Goes to Rome.
The actor also had a recurring role as police officer Jim Corrigan onย T.J. Hooker. He appeared in a total of 66 episodes across four seasons.
Beyond acting, James also enjoyed a career as a singer and performed the theme song forย Gidget. As per reports, he also directed a variety of episodes on shows likeย Melrose Place,ย Beverly Hills, 90210ย andย The A-Teamย among others.
Rest in peace, James Darren.
