Image of Jay North

Jay North

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jay Waverly North (born August 3, 1951) is an American actor. Beginning a career as a child actor at the age of six, he became a household name during the early 1960s for his role as the well-meaning but mischievous Dennis Mitchell on the CBS situation comedy Dennis the Menace, based on the comic strip created by Hank Ketcham. Dennis the Menace premiered on CBS on Sunday, October 4, 1959, and quickly became a hit with audiences. North was paid $500 per episode, his strawberry red hair was bleached platinum blonde for the role, and the eight-year-old was instructed to "shave" a year off his age when speaking with the press. North's mother continued to work at AFTRA full-time to support the two of them, and hired business managers to invest North's earnings for him. In a 1993 interview with Filmfax magazine, North spoke highly of his mother, saying: "I want to make it very clear about one thing. I never supported my mother during (Dennis the Menace). She earned her own money from AFTRA. She never lived off my earnings. I know that sometimes happens with child actors, but it was not true in my situation." While Mrs. North worked, her sister Marie Hopper and brother-in-law Hal Hopper served as North's on-set guardians during filming for Dennis The Menace. In addition to filming the series, North appeared as Dennis in commercials for the show's sponsors, Kellogg's cereals, Best Foods mayonnaise, Skippy peanut butter, and Bosco chocolate milk, and regularly traveled around the country with his aunt and uncle on the weekends to promote the show. These obligations, combined with the required three hours a day of school, took their toll on North, and by the end of the first season, the eight-year-old had begun to feel the pressures of being the lead star of a popular show. By the fall of 1961, the series was in its third season, and North was earning $2,500 an episode. The show remained in the top 20, but North had grown tired and frustrated with the pressures of carrying a hit show and the long work hours. Complicating matters was his relationship with his Aunt Marie. Many years later, North revealed that his aunt physically and verbally abused him when he made mistakes on the set or did not perform to her standards. North's mother, Dorothy, and the rest of the Dennis The Menace cast were unaware of the abuse, and North concealed his unhappiness for fear of retribution from his aunt. In July 2007, North's childhood co-star, Jeannie Russell, who portrayed Margaret Wade on the series, told radio host Stu Shostak in a radio interview: "'The show comes first.' This was the ethic that we were raised in. Had I seen any abuse or any horrible upset on Jay's part, I would have noticed. It would have impacted me. It would have upset me terribly."[12] By the fourth season, North was earning $3,500 an episode.


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Born:
Aug 3, 1951 In Hollywood, California, U.S.A.
Movie/TV Credits:
31
First Appeared:
In the series Lassie 1954-09-12
Latest Project:
Movie Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star 2003-09-04
Known For
Poster of Wild Wind
Poster of The Fantastic Plastic Machine
Poster of Maya
Poster of Maya
Filmography
Movie Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Self 2003-09-04
Series E! True Hollywood Story Unknown 1996-08-21
Series The Simpsons Unknown 1989-12-17
Movie Wild Wind Captain Schofield 1985-11-01
Movie Scout's Honor Grogan's Dad 1980-09-30
Movie The Teacher Sean Roberts 1974-05-29
Movie Lassie: Joyous Sound Jim (Curly-Haired Surfer) 1972-01-01
Series The Flintstone Comedy Hour Bamm-Bamm Rubble 1972-09-09
Series The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show Bamm-Bamm Rubble 1971-09-11
Movie The Fantastic Plastic Machine Narrator 1969-05-23
Series Here Comes the Grump Terry Dexter (voice) 1969-09-06
Series Arabian Knights Prince Turhan (voice) 1968-09-07
Series Maya Terry Bowen 1967-09-16
Movie Maya Terry Bowen 1966-05-26
Series Jericho Unknown 1966-09-15
Movie Zebra in the Kitchen Chris Carlyle 1965-06-01
Series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Bartlett Warshowsky 1964-09-22
Series The Lucy Show Unknown 1962-10-01
Series My Three Sons Unknown 1960-09-29
Movie Pepe Jay North 1960-12-21
Movie The Big Operator Timmy Gibson 1959-08-01
Movie The Miracle of the Hills Davey Leonard 1959-07-29
Series Dennis the Menace Dennis Mitchell 1959-10-04
Series The Detectives Unknown 1959-10-16
Series The Donna Reed Show Unknown 1958-09-24
Series Wanted: Dead or Alive Unknown 1958-09-06
Series 77 Sunset Strip Unknown 1958-10-10
Series Sugarfoot Unknown 1957-09-17
Series Wagon Train Tom Blake 1957-09-18
Series The Dinah Shore Chevy Show Unknown 1956-10-05
Series Lassie Unknown 1954-09-12