James Darren, Teen Idol Actor in ‘Gidget,’ Singer and Director, Dies at 88

James Darren, who was a singer and Director, who went from teen idol status acting in youth-oriented movies like “Gidget” to becoming an actor in TV shows such as “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “T.J. Hooker”, died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 88.

James Darren’s son Jim Moret said that he had been able to express his love for his family while being treated in the cardiac unit. “He was a good man. He was very talented,” Moret said. “He was forever young.”

Moret said that he was grateful that his father had been able to embrace his signature role as the surfer Moondoggie in the “Gidget” movie and that he continued to interact with his fans.

James Darren was Born in Philadelphia, he studied acting with Stella Adler in New York and was signed to Columbia Pictures. He began his first role as “Rumble on the Docks.” Then he went on to appear in films including “Operation Madball” and “Gunmen’s Walk” before being cast in the 1959 teen movie “Gidget,” starring Sandra Dee and Cliff Robertson. Before it became a popular Tv series , Darren also sang the title track for the hit movie, which was based on the experiences of a teenaged surfer girl in Malibu.

A successful singing career for Darren was launched by the theme song the “Gidget”. It won a gold record with “Goodbye Cruel World” in 1961 and released at least 14 albums. Later He continued to appear in feature films including “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Gene Krupa Story,” “All the Young Men” and “Because They’re Young.”

Though James Darren was tired of the typecasting by then, He reprised his role as Moondoggie in “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and again in “Gidget Goes to Rome,”

Later he mooved to television by starting a series “The Time Tunnel”. After a brief sojourn in Italy appearing in Jess Franco’s “Venus in Furs,” he went on to guest-star on numerous series including “Love, American Style,” “Fantasy Island” and “The Love Boat.”

Darren continued on “T.J. Hooker” from 1983 to 1986 and also moved into TV directing, working on series including “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Melrose Place.”

in 1998, He found a new generation of fans, as Vic Fontaine, the holographic lounge singer on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

Later, he survived by his wife Evy; sons Jim Moret, Christian Darren and Tony Darren; and five grandchildren.