| Birth: | Sep. 4, 1928 Fort Wayne Allen County Indiana | | Death: | Feb. 20, 1992 Grand Rapids Kent County Michigan |  Actor, most remembered for his role as Darrin Stephens, the often-frustrated husband of Elizabeth Montgomery, in the Television sitcom series, Bewitched. Born Richard Allen York in Fort Wayne, Indiana on 4 September 1928, he quickly found work in the entertainment industry. In 1943, at age 15, he became the star of the network radio program, "That Brewster Boy." Beginning in movies in 1947, with the role of Philip Norton in the film "Shy Guy" (1947), his roles were few and far between. To further develop his skills and to earn money, he played a number of small roles on early television shows, beginning with "Visit to a Small Planet" on the Goodyear Television Playhouse in May 1955. Over the next several years, he continued playing small, supporting actor roles on such TV series as Kraft Television Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse, Studio One, the United States Steel Hour, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, all the while doing numerous other supporting actor roles in less than memorable films, waiting for the big breakthrough role which never came. In 1959, while acting in the role of Private Renziehausen in the cavalry film "They Came to Cordura" (1959), he injured his back, which later aggravated into degenerative spine injury. In 1964 he won the supporting role of Darrin Stephens in the comic TV series "Bewitched," where he played the all-too-human husband of a witch with supernatural powers, played by Elizabeth Montgomery. His back continued to hurt him, and he quit the role in 1969, being replaced by actor Dick Sargent. From 1983 to 1985, he regained his health enough to play a couple of small supporting roles in such TV series as Simon and Simon and Fantasy Island. He later founded Acting for Life, a private fund raising effort for the homeless, which he managed from his home while bedridden from his degenerative spine injury. He was married in 1951 to Joan York, until his death on 20 February 1992 of emphysema, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson)
Cause of death: Emphysema complicated by a degenerative spinal condition Search Amazon for Dick York | | | Burial:
Plainfield Cemetery
Rockford Kent County Michigan, USA | Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Jul 09, 1998
Find A Grave Memorial# 3135 |
|
|
|
Thankyou so much for all the laughs over the years! You are truly the one and only Darrin.I never enjoyed the show as much after you left.My father suffered from emphysema also,a terrible disease.I used to watch your show with him in his last days. You ar...(Read more) -
Debbie From Liverpool Ny
Added: Nov. 20, 2009 |
I now have back pain, but I am inspired by the faith, courage, and strength you showed the world. -
Marjorie T.
Added: Nov. 15, 2009 |
I'll have to visit your grave. I live just an hour away. -Anonymous Added: Nov. 14, 2009 |
| There are 1,407 more notes not showing...
Click here to view all notes...
| |
|
|