By Bianca Sierra
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Jay Waverly North Jr. (August 3, 1951 – April 6, 2025) was an American actor. His career as a child actor began in the late 1950s, and he went on to appear in eight TV series, two variety shows and three feature films. At age 7, he became a household name for his role as the good-natured but mischievous Dennis Mitchell on the CBS situation comedy Dennis the Menace (1959–1963), based on the comic strip created by Hank Ketcham.
As a teen, North had roles in two Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature films: Zebra in the Kitchen and Maya. He also starred in the NBC television series adaptation of the latter film. As an adult, he turned to voice acting for animated television series, voicing the roles of Prince Turhan in the Arabian Knights segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour and a teenaged Bamm-Bamm Rubble on The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.
After leaving show business, North began working with fellow former child star Paul Petersen and the organization A Minor Consideration, using his experiences as a child performer to counsel other children working in the entertainment industry.
North was born in Hollywood, the only child of Jay and Dorothy (née Cotton) North. North’s father was an alcoholic, and his parents’ marriage was turbulent. When he was four, his parents separated, and North never saw his father again. He briefly resided in Birmingham, Alabama. His mother worked as the secretary to the West Coast director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
From a young age, North was a fan of television. When he was six, his mother used her connections at AFTRA to arrange for him to appear on his favorite television program, local Los Angeles children’s show Cartoon Express, hosted by Engineer Bill. Prominent Hollywood talent agent Hazel MacMillan was impressed with the photogenic boy, contacting his mother the following day offering to represent him. His mother was aware of the stories of troubled former child stars, and had reservations but eventually gave her approval.
North died of colorectal cancer on April 6, 2025, aged 73. He had been battling the disease for several years.
