Jay North, known for his character on the beloved ’60s sitcom, died Sunday, Fox News Digital confirmed. He was 73.
North died at home in Lake Butler, Florida, after battling colon cancer for years, according to a social media post shared by his longtime friends, “Lassie” actor Jon Provost and wife Laurie Jacobson.
The child actor found acclaim with his role as Dennis Mitchell, an at-times unruly youngster who was known for burdening his neighbor, George Wilson.
“Jeanne Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news,” Jacobson shared online. “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.
“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.”
Provost wrote with “a heavy heart” that his friend of nearly 70 years died Sunday, April 6.
“We just lost another original and dear friend, Jay ‘Dennis the Menace’ North,” Provost shared. “Jay passed today at 12:00 EST, I’ve known Jay for almost 70 years, now you can rest in peace Jay.
“It wasn’t as easy for you as it was for some of us, not that it was a piece of cake that’s for sure, but you did suffer a lot more than most. You were a great guy Jay and I miss you with all my heart, but I know you’re at peace now.”
The show aired for four seasons, beginning in October 1959, and was canceled in 1963 after more than 140 episodes.
North was also known for his voice work, and voiced characters for “Here Comes the Grump,” “Arabian Knights,” “The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show,” and “The Simpsons.”
His last on-screen role was alongside David Spade in the 2003 comedy,
“Dennis the Menace” was based on the comic strip created by Hank Ketchum. (Bettmann)
North’s friend and “Dennis the Menace” co-star Jeanne Russell confirmed his death on social media. (Bobby Bank)
Decades after finding success, North admitted he suffered abuse as a child actor, and claimed that his aunt would physically assault him on set.
“I used to wake up every morning thinking, ‘My God, do I have to spend another day with this woman?’ Because I would go in and I would do a scene, I would come off the set and everybody said, ‘Hey, you did a great job.’ And then I would get a slap across the face, or taken into the dressing room and get a spanking or verbal tongue lashing or whatever,” North told Katie Couric in 1991.
“Physically, she would just grab my hair, and just shake me … just made life a living hell for the four years. My uncle was very abusive too.”
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, North switched to voice acting, appearing in shows including “Arabian Knights,” “Here Comes the Grump,” and “The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.”
By the late 1980s, North had given up acting, though he has made a few appearances as himself in television shows including “The Simpsons” and David Spade’s film “Dickie Roberts:
Former Child Star.” North apparently assisted disturbed youngsters in the juvenile system while serving as a correctional officer in Florida in more recent years.
via the 1990s, he also assisted in counseling former child stars via the organization A Minor Consideration.
According to Jacobson, he also worked with death row convicts who had also had a difficult upbringing, and their discussions enabled him to reconcile his early years.
Jacobson claims that although though Jay dislikes Hollywood, he did value one benefit he received from the business:
Lifelong friends who were also child stars at the same time, such as Angela Cartwright, Jerry Mathers, Stan Livingston, Paul Petersen, and Brandon Cruz.