James Darren death: Gidget and TJ Hooker star dies aged 88

James Darren, the actor who ignited the 1960s surfing craze through his role as a charismatic beach boy in the hit film Gidget, has died aged 88, his family have confirmed.

Darren was the only Gidget cast member who appeared in both its sequels, 1961’s Gidget Goes Hawaiian and 1963’s Gidget Goes to Rome.

The Gidget star was also godfather to Nancy Sinatra’s daughter A.J. Lambert, having starred alongside Sinatra in Leslie H. Martinson 1964 comedy, For Those Who Think Young.