Jay North, child actor who played 'Dennis the Menace,' dies at 73

Jay North, who starred arsenic the blond, mischievous troublemaker Dennis Mitchell connected the fashionable CBS drama “Dennis the Menace,” has died. He was 73.

North died astatine his location successful Lake Butler, Fla., connected Sunday aft a agelong combat with cancer, according to a Facebook station by his person Laurie Jacobson, who said his “Dennis the Menace” co-star Jeannie Russell called her with the “terribly sad, but not unexpected news.”

“As galore of his fans know, helium had a hard travel successful Hollywood and aft ... but helium did not fto it specify his life. He had a bosom arsenic large arsenic a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called america often and ended each speech with ‘I emotion you with each my heart.’ And we loved him with each of ours.”

North changeable to fame playing Dennis, an impish kid who wore baggy overalls with a slingshot successful his backmost pouch and who often made a messiness of things for his neighbour George Wilson. The TV bid that ran from 1959 to 1963 was based connected the Hank Ketcham comic strip. Both North and his quality became TV popular civilization icons.

Before auditioning for the bid astatine property 6, North appeared successful commercials and worked arsenic a kid model. He past pivoted to acting, landing appearances connected the crippled amusement “Queen for a Day,” arsenic good arsenic tiny parts connected assortment shows including “The “Eddie Fisher Show” and “The Milton Berle Show.”

After his star-making crook connected “Dennis the Menace,” North made diagnostic films including “Zebra successful the Kitchen” successful 1965 and “Maya” the pursuing year, some for MGM.

However, helium recovered himself typecast arsenic Dennis, the cow-licked mischief maker. “I inactive had the face, and that’s what casting directors, producers and directors saw erstwhile I would spell successful to work for a role,” helium told E! web successful 1999.

He aboriginal recovered enactment arsenic a dependable histrion connected specified children’s shows arsenic “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour” and “The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show,” performed successful meal theatre successful Chicago and appeared successful immoderate R-rated films including “The Teacher.”

By the mid-1970s however, North became disillusioned with Hollywood and joined the Navy.

The pursuing decennary North returned to acting. His last surface relation was successful 2003’s “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.”

North aboriginal worked with Paul Petersen, different erstwhile kid actor, who starred successful “The Donna Reed Show.” He formed A Minor Consideration, an enactment to assistance erstwhile puerility entertainers header with the pressures and difficulties of moving successful Hollywood.

“A flickering airy has gone out. ‘Dennis the Menace’ has shed his mortal coil. Goodbye, my friend. You near a people arsenic our archetypal ceremonial rescue,” wrote Petersen and his wife, Rana, connected Facebook.

Born Aug. 3, 1951, successful Los Angeles, North was an lone child. His alcoholic begetter abandoned him erstwhile helium was a toddler, and his mother, who worked full-time, turned his on-set supervision implicit to an aunt and uncle, whom North aboriginal claimed emotionally and physically abused him.

Through the years, North talked astir his experiences arsenic a kid actor, saying producers were astir funny successful obtaining a show retired of him portion his schooling was neglected, contempt California laws requiring 3 hours of acquisition a time for kid actors. In 2000, North told the Florida Times-Union that helium ne'er learned elemental math.

North is survived by his 3rd wife, Cindy, and 3 stepdaughters.