Jay North, ‘Dennis the Menace’ Star, Dead at 73
Jay North, known for his role as Dennis Mitchell in Sixties sitcom Dennis the Menace, died Sunday after a battle with cancer, Variety reports. He was 73.
“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,” his longtime friend Laurie Jacobson wrote on social media. “As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after…but he did not let it define his life.
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“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,’” Jacobson added. “And we loved him with all of ours. A life-long friend of [Jacobson’s husband] Jon’s [Provost], 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.”
North found acclaim starring as Dennis Mitchell in Dennis the Menace, which was based on Hank Ketchum’s comic strip of the same name. North played the mischievous Dennis, who caused trouble for his neighbor George Wilson (Joseph Kearns).
The show ran for four seasons, launching in October 1959 through 1963 and aired 146 episodes. The show also starred Herbert Anderson, Gloria Henry, Billy Booth, Sylvia Field, and Gale Gordon.
After the cancellation of the series in 1963, North starred in the 1965 movie Zebra in the Kitchen and 1966’s Maya and the 1967-68 Maya television series. He also appeared in shows including The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Lucy Show, and My Three Sons in one-off roles, and did voice work as well. His last starring role was in 1974’s The Teacher.
North was born on Aug. 3, 1951 in Los Angeles, and launched his acting career in commercials before auditioning at age six for Dennis the Menace.
Following his difficult experiences as a child star, where he said he experienced abuse from his aunt who served as his guardian while he was starring as Dennis, North worked with A Minor Consideration, advocating for the rights of young actors.
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