He was subsequently sent home, but returned to hospital a short time later.
“I always thought he would pull through,” his son Jim said, “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”
Darren shot to prominence as a teen idol after landing the role of surfer Moondoggie in 1959’s Gidget. He reprised the role in the two sequels Gidget Goes Hawaiian and Gidget Goes to Rome.
The actor also had a recurring role as police officer Jim Corrigan on T.J. Hooker. He appeared in a total of 66 episodes across four seasons.
Beyond acting, James also enjoyed a career as a singer and performed the theme song for Gidget. As per reports, he also directed a variety of episodes on shows like Melrose Place, Beverly Hills, 90210 and The A-Team among others.
Rest in peace, James Darren.
