21 Star Trek Actors Who Died In 2024
5. James Darren - 2nd September 2024
James Darren appeared in eight episodes of Deep Space Nine playing the holographic entertainer Vic Fontaine. This was his first foray into Star Trek, but he had acted alongside William Shatner for several years on T.J. Hooker, as Officer Jim Corrigan.
Darren, born James William Ercolani, chose his stage name in honour of the Kaiser-Darrin sports car. He spent many years touring as a singer, performing twice at the Academy Awards, and even playing a cariacature of himself on The Flintstones.
He got his start in Hollywood, thanks to his manager Joyce Selznick, with a contract at Columbia Pictures. Though he was primarily an actor at that point, he impressed the studio with his vocals on Gidget, the film that solidified him as a teen heartthrob. From that point on, he split his time between acting, performing in nightclubs and casinos, and eventually moved to directing.
He recorded an album, based on the songs he sang as Vic Fontaine, called This One's From The Heart. At the height of his fame, he recalled being swamped by a horde of screaming fans, pulling him to the sidewalk and pulling hairs from his head. While he certainly didn't enjoy the pain of it, he confessed to enjoying the adulation.
Darren was 88 years old when he died.