James Darren, an actor, director and singer who had his breakout role of Moondoggie in the 1959 movie “Gidget,” died Monday at age 88, Variety reported.
The entertainer died at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, according to Variety, citing his son Jim Moret, a chief correspondent for Inside Edition. CNN has sought comment from Darren’s and Moret’s agents.
In response to a post paying tribute to Darren on X from singer Nancy Sinatra, Moret responded: “Nancy My father loved you. Thank you so much for your kind and loving words.”
Darren had a lengthy resume spanning across film and television starting as early as 1956, according to IMDb. But his role in “Gidget” helped him reach heartthrob status in the eyes of teenage moviegoers. In a 2015 interview with Los Angeles magazine, he was asked when he first realized he was a Hollywood sensation.
“The defining moment was when I was at a studio in San Francisco and word got out that I was there,” Darren said 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 “Gidget,” Darren played Moondoggie, a surfer who rescues the main character from a bed of kelp and eventually becomes her romantic interest. He also appeared in two later Gidget movies: 1961’s “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and 1963’s “Gidget Goes to Rome.”
Darren also had supporting roles in the show “The Time Tunnel,” “TJ Hooker” alongside co-star William Shatner, and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” He also directed episodes of shows including “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Melrose Place.”
Born in Philadelphia, Darren studied acting in New York and eventually was signed to Columbia Pictures, Variety reported. He is survived by his wife Evy, his three children and five grandchildren, the outlet said.
