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Jay North, the former child star who became a household name in the 1950s, has died at age 73. North is best known for portraying Dennis Mitchell in the 1959 sitcom Dennis the Menace. His co-star, Jeannie Russell, who played Margaret Wade, confirmed the news of his passing to The Hollywood Reporter. The former actor died in Lake Butler, Florida, on April 6, 2025, following a battle with colon cancer. According to TV Line, North's character, Dennis, might've had heart eyes for Russell's character, Margaret, but off-screen, to Russell, he was her "otherwordly brother." His last on-screen appearance came in a 2003 production called Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, as himself.

North got the role of Dennis Mitchell after auditioning during CBS's nationwide search for the perfect boy to play the part. He was only six years old and initially didn't impress the studio. His agent pressed for a second audition, and North...

Jay North, the actor who played Dennis Mitchell on the 1959 television series Dennis the Menace, died Sunday at age 73 following a prolonged battle with cancer. He passed away peacefully at his home, according to longtime friend and producer Laurie Jacobson.

“Jay passed peacefully at home,” Jacobson wrote in a public message. “He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last, he is at peace.” Jeannie Russell, who co-starred with North on Dennis the Menace, also confirmed the news.

Born August 3, 1951, in Hollywood, California, North began working in entertainment as a child, appearing on local television programs including Cartoon Express. He went on to appear in commercials and had roles on network shows such as Wanted: Dead or Alive, 77 Sunset Strip, and Colt .45.

At age six, North was selected in a nationwide search to play Dennis Mitchell, the live-action version of Hank Ketcham’s comic strip character.

Actor Jay North, the former child star who rose to fame as the star of the Dennis the Menace TV series that debuted in 1959, has passed away. He was 73 years old.

Per THR, North died on Sunday at his home in Lake Butler, Florida. His death was attributed to colon cancer, which North had been living with for years. North's passing was confirmed by Dennis the Menace co-star Jeannie Russell, who said he was her "otherworldly brother."

North was born in Los Angeles on Aug. 3, 1951. Through his mother, Dorothy, who worked as a secretary for AFTRA, North appeared on the TV show Cartoon Express, which led to roles on other shows like Wanted: Dead or Alive, 77 Sunset Strip, and Sugarfoot. At the age of 6, North auditioned for the titular role in Dennis the Menace. After landing the role, North was almost 12 when Dennis the Menace was canceled by CBS after four seasons.

Jay North, who played the title character in CBS’ Dennis the Menace, has died. He was 73.

The news of North’s death was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by Jeannie Russell, who played Dennis the Menace’s Margaret Wade. Russell said North died in Lake Butler, Fla., after a years-long battle with colon cancer, and called him her “otherworldly brother.”

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Jay North, the former child actor who starred as the titular troublemaker on Dennis the Menace, has died. He was 73.

Following a years-long battle with cancer, the actor died peacefully at his home on Sunday morning, according to an announcement shared by his friend and Dennis the Menace co-star Jeannie Russell.

“Jeanne Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news,” wrote Laurie Jacobson in a Facebook post. “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.”

She added, “As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after…but he did not let it define his life. 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.

Jay North, the former child star known for playing the title character of “Dennis the Menace” in the early 1960s, has died. He was 73.

The late actor’s death was announced Sunday afternoon by former co-star Jeannie Russell and their shared family friends. “Jeanne Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news. 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,” Laurie Jacobson wrote on Facebook.

“As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after… but he did not let it define his life. 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.’ And we loved him with all of ours,” Jacobson, who is married to “Lassie” actor Jon Provost,...

Jay North, who starred as the young mischief maker with the characteristic blond cowlick on the 1959-63 CBS comedy Dennis the Menace, has died. He was 73.

North died Sunday at his home in Lake Butler, Florida, after years of battling colon cancer, Jeannie Russell, who played Margaret Wade on his show, told The Hollywood Reporter. She called him her “otherworldly brother.”

On Screen Gems’ Dennis the Menace, based on the comic strip created by Hank Ketcham, North starred as the well-intentioned but troublesome Dennis Mitchell, the only child of Henry (Herbert Anderson) and Alice (Gloria Henry). He often created chaos for his retired next-door neighbor George Wilson and then his brother, John Wilson (Gale Gordon).

(Joseph Kearns had played George, and after his death in 1962, Gordon was brought on to replace him).

North was 6 when he first auditioned for Dennis, 8 when the show went on the air in October 1959 and...

Previous | Image 1 of 25 | NextBarbara Eden of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ still enchants.

Chicago – Every fall in the Chicagoland area, it’s “The Hollywood Show.” This annual event showcases celebrities from TV and film, both current and from the nostalgic past, greeting fans and signing autographs. The September of 2013 show featured “I Dream of Jeannie” TV show personalities Barbara Eden and Bill Daily, plus notable cast reunions of TV’s “My Three Sons” and the 1973 film version of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

HollywoodChicago.com covered the event, and photographer Joe Arce put the show’s participants in front of the lens. “The Hollywood Show” will be back in Chicago in September, 2014. Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. Barbara Eden’s hair by Angela Brasington. All images © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.

HOLSHOW1: Barbara Eden...

Durham, Nc - The hard truth of cinema takes place at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, Nc from April 14-17. That’s four solid days of movies that don’t feature Natalie Portman’s face being digitally inserted on other bodies. Four days of real people doing real stuff. And you can get some great BBQ.

This years line up has enough goodness to make me have to make painful choices as what to watch. There’s only one screening unless a movie wins a major prize. It’s be there or miss out. Choice wisely. Here’s a few of the films I’m looking to catch:

The Hangman (Thursday 10:20 a.m.) appears to be a creepy classic as it probes the man who executed Nazi Adolph Eichmann. What’s he do now? He ritually slaughters animals. Windfall (Thurs 4:20 p.m.) takes us to Meredith,...