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    • ‘Gidget’ and ‘TJ Hooker’ star was 88
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    ‘Gidget’ and ‘TJ Hooker’ star was 88

    Vaseline Posted on

    Actor and former teen idol James Darren, best known for his role in the “Gidget” franchise, has died, according to reports. He was 88.

    Darren reportedly died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his son Jim Moret confirmed to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. According to THR, Darren was admitted to the hospital for an aortic valve replacement, though he was later deemed “too weak” to undergo the procedure.

    “He was a good man. He was very talented,” Moret told Variety. “He was forever young.”

    Singer-songwriter Nancy Sinatra also paid tribute to Darren in an emotional X-post.

    “One of my dearest, best friends in the world, of all my life has passed away,” Sinatra wrote alongside a photo collage of the two. “Wishing him a speedy (and) wonderful journey through the universe (and) beyond. Godspeed, sweet Jimmy. My heart is torn but full of love for Evy, Christian, Anthony (and) Jimmy Jr.”

    USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Darren and Moret for comment.

    Darren played Jeffrey Matthews, aka Moondoggie, in the 1959 surf romcom “Gidget,” opposite Sandra Dee and Cliff Robertson. He reprised the role in the sequels “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” (1961) and “Gidget Goes to Rome” (1963).

    Darren also had a prolific career on television, including recurring roles on the crime drama “TJ Hooker” and the science fiction adventure series “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

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    In addition to acting, the Philadelphia-born entertainer was a teen pop sensation in his early career, releasing a string of singles in the late 1950s and 1960s, including the 1961 hit “Goodbye Cruel World.”

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    Darren is survived by his wife Evy Norlund and his sons Moret, Christian Darren and Anthony Darren.

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