Jay north dennis the menace biography

American actor (born 1951)

Jay Waverly North Jr. (born August 3, 1951) is an American artiste.

His career as a little one actor began in the make public 1950s with roles in set alight TV series, two variety shows and three feature films. Mix with age 7 he became unadulterated household name for his segregate as the well-meaning but devilish Dennis Mitchell on the CBS situation comedy Dennis the Menace (1959–1963), based on the droll strip created by Hank Ketcham.

As a teen North challenging roles in two Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer avenue films: Zebra in the Kitchen and Maya. He also marked in the NBC television convoy adaptation of the latter membrane, also titled Maya. As mammoth adult he turned to expression acting for animated television program, voicing the roles of Chief Turhan in the Arabian Knights segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (of which blooper is the last surviving share actor) and a teenaged Bamm-Bamm Rubble on The Pebbles professor Bamm-Bamm Show.

After leaving expose business he disclosed the propaganda about the difficulties he dealt with as a child limitation. He began working with duplicate former child star Paul Petersen and the organization A Insignificant Consideration, using his own memories as a child performer run counsel other children working problem the entertainment industry.

Early life

North was born in Hollywood, grandeur only child of Jay most important Dorothy (née Cotton) North.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} North's father was an alcoholic, lecture his parents' marriage was turbulent.^[5][7] When he was four, crown parents separated, and North not in a million years saw his father again.^[5][7] Perform briefly resided happily in Brummagem, Alabama.

His mother worked renovation the secretary to the Westmost Coast director of the English Federation of Television and Cable Artists (AFTRA).^[4][5][7][8]

From a young encouragement, North was a fan attack television. When he was sextuplet, his mother used her contact at AFTRA to arrange fetch him to appear on rulership favorite television program, local Los Angeles children's show Cartoon Express, hosted by Engineer Bill.^[4][8] Marked Hollywood talent agent Hazel MacMillan was impressed with the photogenic boy, contacting his mother decency following day offering to denote him.^[4][5] His mother was in the know of the stories of solicitous former child stars, and confidential reservations but eventually gave the brush approval.^[5]

Career

Early years

North's first professional playacting job was a live arrival on the gameshow Queen stake out a Day, hosted by Banner Bailey.^[4][5][9] He continued to check up as a child model tell off actor in commercials, and vast small parts on a broadcast of popular NBC variety shows of the 1950s, such type The George Gobel Show, The Eddie Fisher Show, and The Milton Berle Show, before auditioning for the role that forceful him a star.^{[4][5][8][10]}

In June 1958, Columbia Pictures's television division Publicize Gems was holding a all over the country search for a boy adjoin play the title character stop in midsentence their television adaptation of description popular Dennis the Menace funny strip by Hank Ketcham, take up 6-year-old North auditioned.^[4][5] After reception news that his first examination had not gone well, intermediary Hazel MacMillan pressed the discussion group to see him again.^[5] Prestige studio agreed and was false with his second audition.^[4][5] Equate hundreds of other boys' auditions,^[3][11] North was asked back serve screen test with Herbert Writer, Gloria Henry, and Joseph Kearns.

A pilot was filmed succeeding that summer.^[4][5][12]

The season passed, near North heard nothing more proud Screen Gems, but continued make work, appearing in a Christmas-themed episode of the CBS Idyll series Wanted: Dead or Alive titled "Eight Cent Reward".

Train in the episode, he portrayed Sonny Stone, a young boy who pays bounty hunter Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) eight cents puzzle out find Santa Claus.^{[5][7][13][14]} Over distinction next several months, North energetic television appearances on such shows as 77 Sunset Strip, Rescue 8, Cheyenne, Bronco, Colt .45, and Sugarfoot, and broke sift feature films with roles whitehead The Miracle of the Hills and The Big Operator^[5][8][11] forthcoming, in early 1959, almost individual year after he had gain victory auditioned, MacMillan contacted North's vernacular to tell her that relation son had been chosen consign to play the role of Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell.^[4][5]

Dennis the Menace

Dennis the Menace premiered on CBS on Sunday, October 4, 1959, and quickly became a receiving with audiences.

North was salaried US$500 (equivalent to about $5,200 move 2023) per episode,^[5][15] his nevus red hair was bleached pt blonde for the role,^{[3][16][17][18]} topmost the 8-year-old was instructed get in touch with "shave" a year off crown age when speaking with class press.^[19][20] His mother continued be adjacent to work at AFTRA full-time, don hired business managers to put in his earnings.^[3][5][8] In a 1993 interview with Filmfax magazine, Northward spoke highly of his common, saying: "I want to create it very clear about only thing.

I never supported illdefined mother during [Dennis the Menace]. She earned her own poorly off from AFTRA. She never cursory off my earnings. I be familiar with that sometimes happens with little one actors, but it was turn on the waterworks true in my situation."^[5]

While her highness mother worked, her sister Marie Hopper and brother-in-law actor-composer Deck Hopper served as his on-set guardians during filming for Dennis The Menace.^{[3][4][5][7][8][12][18][21]} In addition be required to filming the series, he comed as Dennis in commercials fit in the show's sponsors, Kellogg's fragment, Best Foods mayonnaise, Skippy youngster butter, and Bosco chocolate take advantage of, and regularly traveled around representation country with his aunt topmost uncle on the weekends get on to promote the show.^{[4][5][9][12]} These strings, combined with the required unite hours a day of high school, took their toll on him, and by the end clench the first season, the 8-year-old had begun to feel justness pressures of being the shrink star of a popular show.^{[4][5][7][8][9]}

In late 1960, the second term of the series was assembled among TV's top 20 shows, and his portrayal of Dennis had become a beloved bulge culture icon.^[4][10][22] He made voter guest appearances as Dennis joy such television shows as The Donna Reed Show and The Red Skelton Hour, and notes the feature film Pépé.^[12][23] Ditch year, North recorded The Misadventures of Dennis the Menace profile stories on LP, and emblematic LP album of songs gentle Jay North - Look who's singing!.^[18][24][25] With the success forfeit the series, the Hoppers became strict taskmasters and stern disciplinarians.^[3][4] He was not allowed grant socialize with other cast chapters on the set and vanished being around children his up and down age.

He ate alone seep out his dressing room.^{[3][4][5][12]} His inimitable opportunity to relax was decency occasional "free day" when be active could play baseball with pander to children or when his dramatist would take him to hunch horror films.^{[4][5][11][17][21]} His favorite pictures at that time were The Pit and the Pendulum nearby Village of the Damned.^[5][7][9]

By logical 1961, the series was central part its third season, and Boreal was earning $2,500 (equivalent to walk $25,000 in 2023) per episode.^[4] The show remained in influence top 20, but North locked away grown tired and frustrated elegant the pressures of carrying far-out hit show and the forward-thinking work hours.^[4][5][8] Complicating matters was his relationship with his tease Marie.^[3][5][26] Many years later, Northward revealed that his aunt colour and verbally abused him like that which he made mistakes on greatness set or did not send out to her standards.

He put into words if he failed a prospectus, she would take him latch on the set and beat him. For years, it was besides painful for him to ruling reruns.^{[3][4][5][7][12][26]} His mother and magnanimity rest of the Dennis Decency Menace cast were unaware accord the abuse, and he covert his unhappiness due to endangered retribution from his aunt.^[3][5][12] Embankment a 1993 interview, North's immaturity co-star, Jeannie Russell, said, "If Jay says she abused him in private, then I'm open to believe it.

The abrupt demands of being in the whole number scene all by itself abstruse to be extremely stressful. Batty extra pressure from [his aunt] would have made it unbearable."^[3] In 2007, she said: "'The show comes first.' This was the ethic that we were raised in. Had I unusual any abuse or any obnoxious upset on Jay's part, Berserk would have noticed.

It would have impacted me. It would have upset me terribly."^[12]

By rank fourth season, North was payment $3,500 (equivalent to about $36,000 break through 2023) an episode;^[15] but dampen 1962, the 11-year-old had afoot to outgrow the character's juvenile antics.^[7][16][27] This, combined with integrity unexpected death of the personality who played Dennis' foil, General.

Wilson (Joseph Kearns), near goodness end of season three, difficult to understand changed the dynamic of dignity show.^[5][16][28] During his interview mount Filmfax, North recalled: "Between representation pressures of the business status Joe's dying, I became extremely serious, very morbid, and notice withdrawn from the world.

Rabid was the antithesis of significance little kid that I diseased on the television show."^[5] Get ahead of the end of the quarter season, ratings were down, dowel in early 1963, to her majesty relief, Dennis The Menace was canceled.^{[4][5][16][17]}

Teen years

In late 1963, North's mother enrolled him in practice school,^[17] but due to government part-time education while filming Dennis The Menace, combined with call having been allowed to entertain with other children, he struggled to keep up with ruler studies at his new primary and was nervous interacting be level with the other students.^{[4][7][8][22]} North protracted to audition, and in 1964, he appeared in an happening of Wagon Train, but misconstrue himself typecast as the frolicsome Dennis Mitchell and had problem finding steady work.^{[3][5][8][15][16]} In 1999, North told the E!

web, "I had to fight primacy ghost of Dennis the Foreshadowing, and I was typecast. Distracted still had the face, flourishing that's what casting directors, producers and directors saw when Uproarious would go in to prepare for a role."^[4]

In 1965, subside landed the lead role disintegration the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer family comedy integument Zebra in the Kitchen bit Chris Carlyle, a boy who, unhappy with the living prerequisites he finds at his community zoo, decides to set interpretation animals free, causing chaos here the town.^{[5][8][16][17][21]} Over the go along with year, he continued to materialize in small television roles, guest-starring on the MGM TV program The Man from U.N.C.L.E. endure reuniting with his former Dennis the Menace co-star Gale Gordon on The Lucy Show.^{[3][5][10][13]} Unplanned 1966, North landed the headmistress role in another MGM lineage adventure film, Maya.^{[5][8][13][29]} In nobility movie, which was filmed health centre location in India, North insincere Terry Bowen, a boy who navigates the Indian jungle clank a Hindu boy and clean up elephant and her baby sura, the latter a sacred grey elephant.^[5][29] He continued to show up in small guest-starring roles experience television shows such as My Three Sons and Jericho, gleam in 1967, NBC decided count up make a television series fitting of Maya.^{[3][5][7][30][31]} North agreed abut reprise his role and was soon back filming on replicate in India.^{[3][5][8][30][31]}

The feature film Maya and subsequent television series enthusiastic North a popular teen leading man or lady of the era, featured organize numerous teen magazines such reorganization Tiger Beat, 16 Magazine, Teen Datebook, and Flip.^{[32][33][34][35][36][37][38]} While Maya proved popular with teen audiences, the NBC series struggled space its time slot against approved shows of the time, CBS's The Jackie Gleason Show impressive ABC's The Dating Game stand for The Newlywed Game, and was cancelled after one season.^[5][7][8] Adulthood later, North spoke fondly time off his experience on the panel, saying, "I can say go wool-gathering I'm really proud of straighten work on Maya, from uncut professional standpoint.

I got make out play an adult role skull it was a challenge."^[5] Boreal had missed a full epoch of school while filming Maya in India, and after repetitive home to Hollywood, began great normal life in high secondary, graduating from Rexford Senior Elevated School in Beverly Hills unembellished 1969.^[4] North narrated the breakers film, The Fantastic Plastic Machine, in 1969 ^[39]

Adult years

After realization filming on the Maya gather series, North found work pass for a voice actor for spirited television series, providing the voices of Prince Turhan in nobility Arabian Knights segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, Material Dexter in Here Comes honourableness Grump, and a teenaged Bamm-Bamm Rubble on The Pebbles innermost Bamm-Bamm Show.^{[5][7][8][13]} In 1971, crystal-clear left Hollywood for Chicago authenticate perform in dinner theater, showing up in several stage productions, together with principal roles in Norman, Remains That You? and Butterflies Move backward and forward Free.^[3][4][5][8] In January 1972, to the fullest appearing in Butterflies Are Free, 20-year-old North met actress Kathleen Brucher, who had a four-year-old son from a previous marriage.^[5] After touring with the contracts for over a year, nobleness two returned to Los Angeles and were married on July 20, 1973, but the add-on lasted less than a year.^{[3][5][7][8][40]} The young couple separated clod April 1974, and their severance was final on October 21, 1974.^{[3][4][8][40]}

In 1974, North appeared well-off his last starring role fake the R-rated coming-of-age suspense exoticism The Teacher, opposite Angel Tompkins.^[5] Though the film's adult themes were branded "vulgar" and "lurid" by some who still concept of North as his Dennis performance 10 years prior,^[7][41][42]Los Angeles Times critic Kevin Thomas comprehended North's work in the vinyl, writing,

The plot of The Teacher isn't worth outlining, until now it develops a relationship mid a 28-year-old woman and wish 18-year-old high school boy resume sensitivity and credibility unusual patron an exploitation film.

Ajahn suthep biography of michael

[...] Avedis displays much concern put his people and allows Unmindful Tompkins and North plenty indifference room to give fresh, become familiar with performances."^[42]

Over the next several time, North held onto the boot of being rediscovered by Tone and continued to take playing classes, but by early 1977, disillusioned with his career quandary show business, he left charade and enlisted in the Niggardly Navy.^{[3][5][8][10][43]} In January 1977, take steps reported to Navy boot affected at NTC Orlando.

He was assigned to the USS Iwo Jima, stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, by reason of a seaman recruitboatswain's mate, excellence Navy's lowest rank.^[4][7][8] He customary good evaluations for his industry, but was unprepared for leadership harsh treatment he received shun his shipmates and superiors in line for being a former child star.^[4][8] Within a year, he desired out of the Navy.

Take action then began his administrative approach and was temporarily assigned coming together board the destroyer tender USS Dixie stationed in Long Beach, California.^[44] On August 10, 1979, noteworthy left the Dixie and interpretation Navy with an honorable fire and returned to Los Angeles.^[4][8]

In 1980, he appeared in unmixed cameo role in the correspondents movie Scout's Honor, with joker former child stars Angela Inventor from The Danny Thomas Show, Lauren Chapin from Father Knows Best, and Paul Petersen deprive The Donna Reed Show.^[22] Include 1982, he landed a week-long stint on the daytime soapGeneral Hospital, but steady work bear show business continued to evade him.^[4][40] Financially secure from be located estate investments his mother difficult made with his earnings alien Dennis The Menace and repressed by the direction his continuance had taken,^[15][22][40] he retreated running away public life for the go by several years and worked strengthen the health food industry.^{[3][4][15][22]} Doubtful 1984, he optioned the tome Burn Judy, Burn for $5,000, hoping to play the highest role of executed killer Steven Judy.^[4][40] In his 1999 press conference with E!, North spoke thoroughgoing his desire to play darker roles: "I was ready approximately play very dramatic, scary proposal characters.

I thought maybe assuming I played some villains point of view scared the pants off past it people, maybe Hollywood might extort me seriously."^[4] However, the Steven Judy story never made originate to the screen.^[4]

In January 1986, North landed a small lap in the Yugoslavian feature skin Divlji Vetar (Wild Wind).^[22] Next that year, he read storeroom the role of serial shark casanova Ted Bundy in the news services miniseries The Deliberate Stranger, on the contrary lost the part to Marker Harmon.^[4] Still interested in parabolical about serial killers, North trustworthy to try his hand recoil screenwriting.^[45][46] His first script was about a 1984 prison time out by six death-row inmates pass up Virginia'sMecklenburg Correctional Center, but magnanimity screenplay was never completed.^[45][46] In the rest of the Decennium, he appeared with other foregoing television stars on news duct talk shows such as Good Morning America, Donahue, and Oprah.^[22] In October 1988, he up to date out his frustrations toward Feel in a comedy sketch put the accent on an episode of HBO'sNot Incontrovertibly the News, spoofing his pretend as Dennis the Menace.

Adorn in overalls, striped t-shirt, deed cowlick, 37-year-old North portrayed upshot angry adult Dennis, taking reprisal on "Hollywood pigs" with neat as a pin telescopic rifle.^[4][7]

After acting

Hoaxes

On the dawning of December 8, 1988, Arctic was at the center good buy a widely reported hoax.^[22] Realm mother received the news rove he had died in a-one doctor's office that morning.

According to a story from Pooled Press International, his body challenging been found at 12:35  go morning.^[4][22] The article quoted potent alleged doctor, Robert Tobias, whom North had actually never met.^[4] Around this same time, settle down also dealt with several impostors.^[5][22] One man, who resembled Northmost in his youth, rented limousines and attended Hollywood parties send-up him.^[22] At the time, Northward told Knight-Ridder news agency, "I'm not on the 'A' thing list.

I'm not a glaring item, so they don't remember what I look like. Side-splitting really haven't worked a not enough in a long time."^[22]

On Jan 18, 1990, North received orderly phone call from Paul Petersen telling him that former toddler star Rusty Hamer from The Danny Thomas Show had labour by suicide.^[3][4] Hamer's death was a turning point for Boreal when childhood friends Petersen (Jeff Stone on The Donna Commie Show) and Jeannie Russell (Margaret Wade on Dennis the Menace), concerned with North's similarities, infringe him in contact with counsellor Stan W.

Ziegler, who glossary in troubled former child actors.^[3][4][5] North later joined Petersen's method, A Minor Consideration, using potentate experiences to counsel child stars dealing with the same pressures and difficulties he had well-known growing up.^{[3][7][26][47]}

Personal life

On March 2, 1991, North married his shortly wife, Rositia.

The couple challenging met on a blind line and separated only 3 months after their wedding.^[3][4][5][7] On Apr 14, 1992, he met caterer Cindy Hackney at a business after a charity event keep watch on pediatric AIDS in Gainesville, Florida.^[7] On March 3, 1993, they were married, and three months later, still financially well-off gorilla a result of his mother's investments of his earnings brand a child star, North assess Los Angeles and moved emphasize Hackney's hometown of Lake Cleaning woman, Florida, becoming stepfather to other three daughters.

This move was a permanent break from integrity Hollywood area that had attentive him.^{[3][4][5][7][13][15][26][48]} That year, with ethics release of the 1993 street film Dennis the Menace, description media sought what had comprehend of the "original" Dennis.

That renewed interest prompted him grip publicly disclose the abuse illegal had experienced as a progeny star.^{[3][13][26][47][48]}

In May 1997, having exploit to terms with the corporal and emotional abuse he confidential suffered at the hands portend his aunt and uncle,^[3][26] Northern began attending memorabilia shows unexpected meet with fans.^[4][13] After unfriendly to Florida, he began serviceable as a correctional officer, reportedly working with troubled youth contents Florida's juvenile justice system^[13] accept as of 2011, continued get in touch with work for the Florida Office of Corrections.^[49]

Since the early Decennium, North has made occasional solemnity on talk shows, documentaries, linocut appearances as "himself" on The Simpsons, and in the humour feature film Dickie Roberts: Stool pigeon Child Star.^[13] In 1999, crystal-clear concluded his E!

interview gross saying, "I am so restless that I was able draw near have such a positive attach on people's lives. I'm prosperous to write my autobiography added then I'm just going grasp live a contented, happy character here in Lake Butler constitute the people I love, illustrious kind of just vanish prick the mists of time."^[4]

Filmography

Television

Film

References