Actor Jay North, who starred in Dennis the Menace, died on Sunday, April 6, 2025, following years of battling colon cancer. He was 73 years old.

North played troublemaking only child Dennis Mitchell in the Dennis the Menace sitcom from 1959 to 1963. Despite having the best of intentions, Dennis was often a nuisance to his retired neighbor, George Wilson. North auditioned for the role when he was only 6 years old and starred in the show from ages 8 to 12.

He was born in Los Angeles on August 3, 1951, and made his TV debut in the LA kids show Cartoon Express. Then, he did guest spots on shows like Wanted: Dead or Alive, 77 Sunset Strip, and Sugarfoot, and was in the movies The Miracle of the Hills and The Big Operator.

During Dennis the Menace, North also played Dennis on The Donna Reed Show, Pepe, and The Red Skeleton Hour. He guest starred in General Hospital, Wagon Train, and The Lucy Show, and he starred in Zebra in the Kitchen.

He was in Maya and the series that followed, and did voice work in Arabian Knights, Here Comes the Grump, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, and The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show. North starred in the thriller The Teacher, Scout’s Honor TV movie, Wild Wind, and voiced himself in The Simpsons.

Outside of acting, North served in the US Navy, was a correctional officer, and he worked with A Minor Consideration, an actor’s organization meant to help child actors handle real life situations. His final onscreen appearance was playing himself in the movie Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.