Jay North, best known as the bad-boy Dennis Mitchell on the popular long-running television series “Dennis the Menace,” passed away Wednesday at age 73. North passed away in his home in Lake Butler, Florida, after a four-year fight with colon cancer.
North was born Aug. 3, 1951, in Hollywood, Calif. His acting career seemed nearly destiny-influenced. His mother, Dorothy North, worked as the secretary to the West Coast director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and thus little Jay was introduced to the world of acting at a tender age. His first major break was at the ripe old age of six when he landed the role of the title character in “Dennis the Menace,” a TV series based on Hank Ketcham’s popular comic strip. The show premiered in 1959 and was an instant fixture of American television, airing for four successful seasons until 1963.
North’s characterization of Dennis, the mischievous but lovable boy, won over viewers across the country. His on-camera shenanigans, usually at the expense of Mr. Wilson, next-door neighbor, became the stuff of childhood lore. The rapport among North and co-stars Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry, Dennis’s long-suffering parents, helped immensely in the series’ long-lasting popularity.
Though the show was successful, North endured severely behind the scenes. Speaking of the abuse and pressures of being a child actor, especially at the hands of his guardians, in interviews years later, these left long-lasting scars, which made it increasingly difficult to adjust to roles for adults.
When “Dennis the Menace” went off the air, North wanted to expand his acting career. He appeared in movies like “Zebra in the Kitchen” and “Maya,” the latter of which had a TV series with North as the star of the show. He began voice acting too, performing voice work for animated series like “Arabian Knights” and “The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.”
But the specter of Dennis Mitchell followed him, and North struggled to outgrow the stereotyping which so often attaches to such a defining role. This caused him to retire from the stage and pursue other avenues of career development. He served in the armed services, was in the health foods industry, and spent two decades as a correctional officer with the Florida Department of Corrections.
Later in life, North became an advocate for child performers, utilizing his own experiences to counsel and guide young professionals struggling with Hollywood’s ins and outs. He worked with agencies like A Minor Consideration, a group formed by another former child performer, Paul Petersen, in an effort to counsel and provide entry to the new generation.
