Darren was born in Philadelphia in 1936 as James William Ercolani. He grew up in South Philadelphia and studied acting in New York City. He was discovered by a talent agent and signed to a long-term contract with Columbia Pictures in 1956. His first film was Rumble on the Docks (1956), which resulted in significant attention and fan mail. He continued to star in films such as Operation Mad Ball (1957), The Brothers Rico (1957), The Tijuana Story (1957) and Gunman's Walk (1958).
In 1959 he played third on the bill on Gidget, though his role was effectively the lead. The film had a title song that someone else was going to sing but Darren, who had sang on nights out for years, volunteered to give the song a go himself. His vocal performance impressed the producers and he ended up singing multiple songs for the film. Darren's singing ability attracted the attention of Colpix Records, who had him release a string of pop songs through the 1960s.
Darren continued to play supporting roles in various films and returned to the role of Gidget in Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and Gidget Goes to Rome (1963). However, Darren felt he was not fulfilling his leading man potential, with his success in the Gidget Trilogy and his supporting turn in mega-hit The Guns of Navarone (1961) failing to lead to further leading roles. Darren later suggested his agents had failed to capitalise on his profile at the time. Darren diversified his career by voicing characters on Hanna-Barbera animated film and TV shows at a time when most Hollywood stars ignored the medium.
Darren also met and befriended Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., becoming a junior member of the "Rat Pack" in the 1960s.
In 1966 Darren starred as an android in an episode of Voyage of the Bottom of the Sea. He met the show's creator Irwin Allen and struck up a friendship. Allen then offered him the leading role of Dr. Anthony Newman on his next TV series, The Time Tunnel. The show only ran for a single season of 30 episodes, but attracted a cult following and constant repeats in both the USA and Europe made Darren a familiar television face.
Slightly disillusioned with film, Darren spent the 1970s focused on television and furthering his singing career in nightclubs. He appeared on S.W.A.T., Charlie's Angels, Police Story, Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat and Fantasy Island, among others. He furthered his profile by presenting the documentary show Portrait of a Legend, interviewing famous musicians about their career.
In 1983 Darren gained renewed fame by playing Officer James Corrigan on the police drama T.J. Hooker, alongside Star Trek star William Shatner. Darren used the opportunity to move into directing, helming several episodes of Hooker before handling episodes of Hunter, The A-Team and Renegade.
In 1998 Darren was cast in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the role of Vic Fontaine, a holosuite lounge singer from 1960s Las Vegas who dispenses advice to the crew. Darren was cast for his real-life singing experience and being a member of the Rat Pack, although the producers also found his association with Shatner amusing. Darren credited the show with a late-stage career revival, leading to him recording two new albums and making further acting appearances. Darren also portrayed a "real" character in the Mirror Universe in one episode, where he was immediately killed off. Darren only appeared in eight episodes in the sixth and seventh seasons, despite fan perceptions he appeared in far more, with his biggest role coming in the episode It's Only a Paper Moon, where he helps Nog (Aron Eisenberg) deal with PTSD triggered by losing his leg in combat.
James Darren passed away on 2 September 2024. He had been suffering from heart issues for several weeks before his passing. He is survived by his second wife and three sons. He will be missed.
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