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James Darren has enjoyed a successful, multi-faceted career, spanning six decades of motion picture, television, recording and live concert performances. With a notable career in films (Gidget, The Guns of Navarone) as well as television (The Time Tunnel, T.J. Hooker, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Darren has re-emerged on the movie scene with his first co-starring role in a motion picture in 40 years in "Lucky."
Daily Variety recently raved:
Meanwhile, in another corner of the bar, James Darren - yes, that James Darren (aka Moondoggie from the '50s and '60s Gidget movies, and the younger cop from T.J. Hooker) gives what arguably is the finest film performance of his career as Paulie, a putatively reformed ne'er-do-well. Paulie claims he changed his reckless ways decades ago when he hooked up with Elaine (a nicely brassy Beth Grant), owner of the establishment where Lucky regularly raises a glass or two or more. (If the right people see Lucky, it could do for Darren what Jackie Brown did for Robert Forster.)Born in South Philly as James Ercolani, a second-generation American of Italian descent, Darren cites his beloved grandmother as the greatest guiding light of his life and his career. By the age of 14, Darren knew he wanted a show business career, and he embarked on the road to stardom by singing in nightclubs in Philadelphia and South Jersey. By age 18, he was in New York, studying acting for several years with the legendary drama teacher Stella Adler. It was a chance introduction to Hollywood movie producer Joyce Selznick (niece of the legendary David O. Selznick) that led to Darren's seven-year contract with Columbia Pictures and his first big break: starring as the college student-surfer Moondoggie opposite Sandra Dee in the 1959 classic comedy hit, Gidget. Two sequels would follow, and Darren was soon on Hollywood's short list of most sought-after young dramatic actors. He would make 20 films in all, including The Guns of Navarone, The Lively Set, The Gene Krupa Story, The Brothers Rico, Gunman's Walk, Let No Man Write My Epitaph, and Diamond Head.
Darren's singing career encompasses an impressive roster of musical credits including 14 albums and five Top 10 singles, including the 1961 Grammy- nominated Goodbye Cruel World, which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks. Throughout the early 60s, his recording career continued to skyrocket with subsequent Top 10 hits including Her Royal Majesty, Conscience, and All. In 1976, he landed still another hit with You Take My Heart Away from the Oscar-winning film Rocky.
Darren would also make his mark on the small screen, starring in several hit television series, including The Time Tunnel, T.J. Hooker, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Melrose Place. In 1987, the versatile entertainer began another phase of his career, this time as a highly in-demand director for television whose credits include several movies of the week, and more than 50 television shows ranging from Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210 to Hunter and Walker, Texas Ranger.
But it is James Darren's love of music that finds him back in the spotlight. In 1999, he returned to the recording industry in a big way, releasing This One's From the Heart, a collection of some of the greatest classics ever penned, including The Way You Look Tonight, Come Fly With Me, and I've Got You Under My Skin which re-introduced the world to Darren's lush vocals. Now he's released a new album - Live for the First Time, a collection of his Vegas concert performances.
In his recordings and concert appearances the media has also taken notice of Darren the singer. The San Diego Union-Tribune called him a "compendium of coolness, a wizard of with-it-ness." The Chicago Sun-Times said "Darren is as smooth as silk."
Actor, director, recording artist - James Darren has made an indelible mark in the entertainment industry. And as the song says, the best is yet to come.
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updated:
March 20, 2024
