The effervescent actor, singer, and director James Darren-often referred to as the face of the “Gidget” movie franchise-is gone, the victim of life at 88 years young. Darren, a household name throughout the 1960s, has left an indelible mark on Hollywood with a career spanning over six decades.
His first real claim to fame was when he played the object of the affection, Moondoggie, in the classic 1959 movie of the novel “Gidget”, written by Frederick Kohner. His boyishly handsome face was on many a teenage girl’s bedroom wall, and he went on to reprise his role in two sequels: “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” in 1961 and “Gidget Goes to Rome” in 1963. The chemistry between Darren and co-star Sandra Dee in the original sealed its status as a full-blown cultural phenomenon and helped spawn the beach-party film genre.
Most may remember Darren for his acting career, but he was also a very talented singer. He placed several hit songs in the early 1960s including “Goodbye Cruel World” and “Her Royal Majesty”. His smooth voice and pop appeal made him very successful in the music world, placing singles in top charts that spanned across the country.
In addition to acting and singing, Darren did some directing in the 1970s. He could often be found working behind the camera on popular television shows such as *T.J. Hooker* and *Hunter*. The ability to transition from in front of the camera into a behind-camera position showed versatility and long-lasting power within the entertainment world.
But Darren’s career didn’t stop there. He would experience a resurgence in popularity during the 1990s with his role as Vic Fontaine, the hologram lounge singer, on *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine*. Given as an actors’ nod to Darren’s real-life singing career, this character would become a favorite among fans and seal him as a pop icon.
With the death of James Darren, an era has come to an end, but the services he extended to the world of entertainment would be remembered through movies, television serials, and songs. A corpus of performances left behind by him continues to inspire and enthrall audiences. Charm, talent, and a unique signature he has left on Hollywood-this is how fans and colleagues alike will remember Darren.
