Jay North, beloved star of 'Dennis the Menace,' dies at 73 after battle with cancer
Jay North celebrates 'Dennis the Menace' 50th anniversary in LA (Photo: Getty Images)
Jay North, who played the mischievous boy on the popular sitcom "Dennis the Menace," has died at his home in Lake Butler, Florida, the Associated Press reports.
The cause of death was colon cancer, which the actor had been battling in recent years. The tragic news was confirmed by North’s longtime friend Laurie Jacobson and his agent Bonnie Vent.
"He had a heart as big as a mountain. He truly loved his friends, called us often, and always ended conversations with, 'I love you with all my heart',"Jacobson wrote in a tribute on Facebook.
North earned his iconic role in 1959 when he was just six years old. The young actor appeared as a boy in a striped shirt and overalls who constantly got into trouble, causing endless headaches for his neighbor George Wilson, played by Joseph Kearns.
Jay North as Dennis Mitchell in CBS sitcom (Photo: Getty Images)
The show aired on Sundays on CBS and was based on Hank Ketcham’s popular comic strip. Even after its cancellation in 1963, the series remained popular through reruns.
After the success of the sitcom, Jay North continued his acting career in both television and film. He appeared in popular shows like The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Lucy Show, My Three Sons, Lassie, and The Simpsons. His film roles included Maya (1966), The Teacher (1974), and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003).
North with Dennis the Menace co-stars Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry, 1959 (Photo: Wikipedia)
Jay North was married three times and is survived by his wife Cindy and three stepdaughters.
He will always be remembered by viewers as the charming and kind-hearted hero of classic American television.
Farewell to legends: a series of losses in the film world
The sad news of Jay North’s death adds to a series of recent losses in the film world.
At the beginning of this year, in January, the film world lost another legend - Joan Plowright, known for her roles in 101 Dalmatians and Dennis the Menace, at the age of 96.
In February, actress Michelle Trachtenberg, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, passed away at just 39 years old.
In March, Richard Chamberlain, star of the series Shogun and The Thorn Birds, passed away at the age of 90.
That same month, British actor Simon Fisher-Becker, known for his roles in Harry Potter and Doctor Who, died at the age of 63.
