James Darren, known for his role as the teen surfing star in “Gidget,” has died.
Darren passed away on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Jim Moret, Darren’s son and an “Inside Edition” correspondent, explained the 88-year-old actor had needed an aortic valve replacement but was not strong enough for the surgery.
“I always thought he would pull through because he was so cool,” Moret told the outlet. “He was always cool.”
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In his long career, Darren acted, sang and built up a successful behind-the-scenes career as a television director, helming episodes of such well-known series as “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Melrose Place.”
However, he got his start as the teen surfer star in the 1959 film “Gidget.” Darren starred as Moondoggie alongside Sandra Dee as the title character.
“I was in love with Sandra,” Darren later recalled. “I thought that she was absolutely perfect as Gidget. She had tremendous charm.”
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Despite the film’s success, Darren was the only original cast member who starred in the two follow-up movies, “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and “Gidget Goes to Rome.” Gidget was played by Deborah Walley in the second film and Cindy Carol in the third.
“They had me under contract; I was a prisoner,” Darren told Entertainment Weekly in 2004. “But with those lovely young ladies, it was the best prison I think I’ll ever be in.”
Darren took a break from acting and singing after grabbing an opportunity to direct “T.J. Hooker,” which he was starring in as Officer Jim Corrigan. He later returned to the screen with roles in “Melrose Place” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
