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Jay North Dead: Former ‘Dennis the Menace’ Child Actor Dies at Age 73 After Fighting Cancer
Jay North, known for his work on the television series Dennis the Menace, has died, multiple outlets confirmed. He was 73 years old.
The actor’s longtime friend Laurie Jacobson shared the news in a Facebook post on Sunday, April 6.
“Jeanne Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news. Our dear friend JAY NORTH has been fighting cancer for a number of years and this morning at noon EST, Jay passed peacefully at home,” the post said. “As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after…but he did not let it define his life. He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply.”
“He called us frequently and ended every conversation with ‘I love you with all my heart,’” the post continued. “And we loved him with all of ours. A life-long friend of Jon’s, a brother to Jeanne and a dear friend to me, we will miss him terribly. He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last he is at peace.”
Lassie actor Jon Provost, Jacobson’s husband, also spoke out in a statement to mourn the loss of his longtime friend.
“I share this news with a heavy, heavy heart. We just lost another original and dear friend, Jay ‘Dennis the Menace’ North…….Jay passed today at 12:00 EST, I’ve known Jay for almost 70 years, now you can rest in peace Jay,” he wrote in a post on Facebook on Sunday. “It wasn’t as easy for you as it was for some of us, not that it was a piece of cake that’s for sure, but you did suffer a lot more than most. You were a great guy Jay and I miss you with all my heart, but I know you’re at peace now…….”
North portrayed Dennis Mitchell in the CBS sitcom Dennis the Menace from 1959 to 1963. In the decades that followed, he shared rare insight on life as a child star and some of the drawbacks that came with it.
“I only came alive and became this outgoing, happy little boy when I was in front of the camera,” he previously said. “But when I was away from the camera and around the stage, I was a very quiet, introverted kid. I had a fascination with a science fiction film called Village of the Damned, about these children who have this power where they could look at people and take control of their minds and have them do horrible things to themselves. I wanted to do that. I wanted to hurt people and cause them the pain that they were causing me.”
After playing Dennis, North slowly retreated from Hollywood, making his final acting appearance in 2003’s Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. The California native explained why he took a step back from show business as he got older.
“Most people took a look at me as a grown young man with lean features and only saw the 7-year-old tow-headed kid with a cowlick,” he once reflected. “Even though I was grown and looking different, people in the TV and movie industry still saw me as a kid. They refused to accept the fact I could do an adult part. It was very frustrating to deal with.”
North is survived by wife Cindy Hackney and his three stepdaughters.
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