James Darren, ‘Gidget’ and ‘T.J. Hooker’ Actor, Dead at 88

Darren played the love interest in all three ‘Gidget’ films and became a teen idol.

James Darren, an actor, director, and singer best known for his role as Moondoggie in the 1959 movie Gidget, died Monday at age 88.

The entertainer passed away in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his son Jim Moret, a correspondent for Inside Edition, told The Hollywood Reporter. Darren was due to undergo aortic valve replacement surgery but was deemed too weak for the procedure.

“I always thought he would pull through because he was so cool. He was always cool,” Moret—son of Warren and Gloria Terlitsky—told the outlet.

Nancy Sinatra shared on Instagram alongside two images—one featuring her daughter’s baptism and another of her and Darren side by side, “One of my dearest, closest friends in all the world, of all my life, has passed away. Godfather to my daughter, AJ.l (@aj.lambert). Wishing him a fast and beautiful journey through the Universe and beyond. Godspeed, sweet Jimmy. My heart is torn but full of love for Evy, Christian, Anthony, and Jimmy, Jr. 💔”

In response to Sinatra’s tribute, Moret replied on X: “Nancy, my father loved you. Thank you so much for your kind and loving words.”

Darren, born James Ercolani, studied under the legendary acting coach Stella Adler in New York. The Philadelphia native then signed with Columbia Pictures and made his motion picture debut in the 1956 drama Rumble on the Docks, according to his website.

His breakout role came in 1959’s Gidget as surfer Moondoggie, a role he reprised in subsequent sequels Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and Gidget Goes to Rome (1963).

In addition to acting, Darren also made a name for himself in the mid-1960s as a singer. He sang the title track for Gidget, and its success led him to record and release more songs, including his biggest hit, 1961’s “Goodbye Cruel World,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

He continued to work in Hollywood television with popular series such as the 1966 sci-fi show The Time Tunnel and the ’80s police drama T.J. Hooker, alongside William Shatner.

“Jimmy Darren; I worked with him for several years and then we’d see each other on occasion,” Shatner reflected on X following news of Darren’s death. “What a wonderful man—so talented, so loving. I had the best time with him. The world is less because of his loss.”

After decades in television, he transitioned into TV directing, working on shows like Melrose Place and Beverly Hills, 90210 in the 1990s and early 2000s.

He is survived by his wife Evy, sons Moret, Christian Darren and Anthony Darren and five grandchildren.