Jay North: Ex-Kinderstar succumbed to cancer

Jay North (1951-2025), who was known as a children’s actor from the series “Dennis, Stories of a Lausbuben” and “Maya”, died at the age of 73. After years of cancer on April 6, he fell asleep “peacefully at home”, a friend announced.

North gained celebrity in the early years through the title role in the television series “Dennis, Stories of a Lausbuben” (1959-1963), which is still very popular in the United States. Afterwards he played in the film “Danger in the Valley of the Tiger” (1965) and the “Maya” series adapted from it, which ran from 1967 to 1968.

Producer and author Laurie Jacobson announced his death on April 6th by Facebook posting. She wrote to two black and white pictures that show him as a child star at his time: “Our dear friend Jay North has been fighting cancer for years. Jay was peacefully died at 12 p.m. this morning.”

She also praised him: “He had a heart as big as a mountain and loved his friends with all my heart. He often called us and ended every conversation with ‘I love you with all my heart’. And we loved him with all my heart.” But he no longer has any pain, his suffering was over. “He finally found peace.”

She also reminded of bad experiences while Jay Norths used to be a career: “As many of his fans know, he had a difficult way in Hollywood and afterwards … But he did not allow his life to be determined.” At a talk show appearance in 1991, North described the abuse that he had suffered as a children’s actor, and claimed that his aunt, who looked after him on the set, struck him and abused physically. “I woke up every morning with the thought: ‘My God, do I have to spend another day with this woman?’ Because when I came in and turned a scene, I came from the set and everyone said: ‘Hey, you did great.’ And then I got a slap in the face or was led into the wardrobe and got a spanking or a stand or whatever. “

His other career path was difficult for him: The actor said during a fan convention in Los Angeles in 2017 that he felt excluded in his twenties of Hollywood because he was committed to the role of “Dennis”. However, it is “a very good feeling that I still have fans all over the world. Fans who remember our show and have good memories of it. It gives me a good feeling that people still love and remember us,” he said “Washington Times”.

Over the years, he was less and less likely to be seen in productions. Jay North had his last role on the screen in 2003 in “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star”. Instead, North worked in various other professions. “I was in the military. I have worked in the reform food industry for several years. In the past 20 years I worked as a prison officer for the Florida prison authority,” he said during the fan convention.

Jay North was also a mentor for children’s actors as part of the “A Minor Consideration” interest group, which was founded by the former children’s actor Paul Petersen. He published a tribute to the deceased on Facebook who leaves his wife Cindy and three steps daughters: “A flickering light has gone out.” He had put his mortal shell. “Goodbye, my friend. You left traces as our first official rescue.”