York was cast as Darrin Stephens in the 1960s sitcom Bewitched as Samantha's (Elizabeth Montgomery) mortal husband. His last two credits were on two primetime television series, Simon & Simon and Fantasy Island. Still, Asher didnt deny that Sargent was originally up for the role. Audiences and coworkers noticed a change, then, when Dick Sargent hopped on board from seasons six through eight. At one point York, who had been a three-pack a day smoker for years, developed emphysema and as a result his health started to deteriorate rather quickly as he passed away in his 60s. Darren was also missing from the opening but Samantha just did her normal acts as if he were there anyway. In York's own words, "Gary Cooper and I were propelling a handcar carrying several 'wounded' men down [the] railroad track. Along with the chronic back pain, he had developed a powerful addiction to prescription drugs that consumed his life for the next two years. With that, York left the sitcom to devote himself to recovery, never to return. I lay in my dressing room after being in make-up, waiting to be called on the set. Sometimes they took the concept, sometimes you would hear exact dialogue, revealed Pilato. York made a name for himself in the entertainment industry long before he nabbed a role on Bewitched. "I had a band playing in my head, bagpipes night and day," York recalled. A witch married to an ordinary man cannot resist using her magic powers to solve the problems her family faces. The classic television show focused on Samantha Stephens (played by Elizabeth Montgomery), a witch-turned-housewife who prompted magical acts with a signature wiggle of her nose. Tragically, Jonathan was a passenger on Pan Am Flight 103 which exploded over. "Now, instead of lifting the expected weight, I was suddenly, jarringly, lifting his entire weight off the flatbed180 pounds or so. But his career had already waned in his absence from television, as had his economic situation, forcing him and his family to rely on welfare, unemployment checks and odd jobs to make ends meet over the following decade. The new show will feature Samanthas granddaughter, who is also a witch but who finds her magic useless when it comes to finding true love. The truth, unknown to audiences for years after York left the sitcom, is far less salacious, yet just as mortal as the character Darrin was envisaged for television: injury and addiction were the catalysts that prompted Yorks departure from Bewitched. Why did they replace Darren on Bewitched? Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York in Bewitched, Dick York: The Real Reason He Suddenly Left 'Bewitched', Photo: Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. She just always seemed to be having more fun. According to York, it was during filming on Cordura when he sustained a severe back injury. The years of poor health were not helped by his cigarette habit, and the three-pack-a-day smoker developed emphysema, which ultimately claimed his life at the age of 63 on Feb. 20, 1992. Shed had surgery, but the doctors informed her that her case was terminal. What's your excuse? The producer didnt think a baby witch should be able to. Murphy added that Montgomerys wiggle was a camera trick. Look closely and youll see that her nose isnt really moving at all its her mouth. His last moment on set was a medical emergency. Which Darrin did you prefer? I had always assumed it was because of creative differences or whatever term Hollywood likes to use, but Icouldnt have been morewrong. York did release a statement to The Sacramento Bee in March of 1969 about his departure from the series, which read, "Five years as Liz's husband on Bewitched; there are no hard feelings. 'Bewitched' Star Dick York: Why the Actor Who Played Darrin Stevens Exited the Series, 'Fatal Attraction' Reboot for Paramount+ Trailer and Release Date, Major NBC Show Moves to New Night, Suffers Big Ratings Drop, 'House of the Dragon' Season 1 Timeline, Explained, Candice Patton Has Filmed Her Final 'The Flash' Scenes, Rachael Ray Launches Major New Venture as Her Show Ends, Classic CBS Sitcom Leaving HBO Max This Month, 'That '90s Show': Laura Prepon Had a Special Role Behind the Scenes, and You Might Not Have Realized It, Ronda Rousey Reportedly Injured Just Weeks Before WrestleMania. [3] In his memoir, The Seesaw Girl and Me, published posthumously, he describes the struggle to break his addiction and come to grips with the loss of his career. York was in too much pain, most of the time, to continue in the role. So, from seasons one through five, Darrin would be very indignant, loud, and boisterous with his reactions to Samanthas magic in the Stephens household. They would plant someone on the other side of a door in case it was too heavy for me to open by myself.. They did share a rather key difference, however. York appeared in dozens of episodes of now-classic television series, including Justice, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Untouchables, Rawhide, The Americans, Wagon Train, Father Knows Best, and CBS's The Twilight Zone and Route 66. Here's What Happened to 'Mrs. Kravitz' from 'Bewitched' - DoYouRemember? I honestly hadn't really thought about it, but always had assumed Dick York had had a falling out with producers. York asked a friend on the set to lower him from the 15-foot platform he was on. For the next 18 months, York was largely bed-ridden in a haze of prescription painkillers. Fans of the hit sitcom were scratching their heads at the beginning of season six when a new actor stepped into the role of Darrin. Characters on Bewitched drank so much, fans created a drinking guide for the show. You hallucinate. His 1959 role in They Came To Cordura changed his life forever. Finally! York said yes. Darren McGavin (born William Lyle Richardson; May 7, 1922 - February 25, 2006) was an American actor.. McGavin began his career working as a set painter for Columbia Pictures.In 1954, he originated roles in Broadway productions of My Three Angels and The Rainmaker, followed by roles in David Lean's Summertime and Otto Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm (both 1955). When the show returned for its sixth season, Darrin was portrayed by Dick Sargent. Elizabeth Montgomery, Samantha herself, understood this change motivated by the fictional couples time together. Imagine being part of a show where people expect you to be energetic and full of life and this is next to impossible since you cant move on account of the pain. So, they redid some scenes with Sargent reading lines already spoken by York as Darrin Stephens. By Stephanie Downs Enter Dick York, who had an impressive list of acting credits in film, on Broadway and on TV. David White, who played unctuous advertising exec Larry Tate, had a son named Jonathan whom hed raised as a single father after his wife died due to complications during her second pregnancy. Some theorizing he had a dispute with the network, clashes with his fellow cast members, or a difference of opinion with the showrunner. Rumor has it that York was infatuated with Montgomery; Sargent was not nearly as taken with her. You wouldnt be alone. Origins: Whenever two or more celebrities who have appeared in the same television series or movie die either within a short time of one another or are regarded as having expired well before their. Another young man named Dick Sargant was immediately hired to replace Dick York as "Darrin number 2." He was the first actor to play Darrin Stephens on the ABC fantasy sitcom Bewitched. Bewitched / Two Darrins on Bewitched - TVparty I was just lifting the handle up as the director yelled 'cut!' In fact, she almost cast a spell on the new Darrin and turned him into a little gay rat shrouded in smoke. Yet in season six of the shows eight-season run, York was replaced in the role by actor Dick Sargent. Required fields are marked *. [3], Despite his suffering, York said, "I've been blessed. Enter Dick Sargent. Sargent took over the role of Darrin during the shows sixth season after York was no longer able to continue on. Dick Sargent took up the role of Darrin Stephens after York left because Sargent was actually the second choice for the role anyway. Distractify is a registered trademark. 'Bewitched' Curse | Snopes.com [3] While bedridden in his Rockford, Michigan, home, he founded Acting for Life, a private charity to help the homeless and others in need. The 1960s sitcom,Bewitched, is one of the most beloved shows in television history. Big & Tall and Curvy Tees are our specialties! Darrin works as an account executive at the advertising firm McMann & Tate. "[5], From York's hospital bed, he and director William Asher discussed York's future. On the hit 1960s sitcom Bewitched, Dick York played Darrin Stephens, the long-suffering mortal married to witch-turned-housewife, Samantha. Come back often, mmkay? Elizabeth Montgomery with Dick York's replacement, Dick Sargeant. Copyright 2023 Distractify. To deal with the chronic pain he was experiencing due to the Cordura accident, York was prescribed several painkillers, including codeine, muscle relaxants, and sleeping pills (he stressed that he avoided drugs while working). He has warmly treated Samantha as if she were his daughter, but mostly, he reacts with disdain to Phyllis's delusions and hallucinations, unaware that these events are caused by Samantha's witchcraft. Some Darrin-less episodes were filmed until Dick Sargent took over the role. Kept in the dark though, they could only use their gut to determine if they could follow the show with such a drastic change of casting. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Your email address will not be published. The episode was titled: Darren's breaking point. While Grimes was still scheduled to play the lead, a young actor named Richard Sargent was close to being signed on to play Darrin Stephens. He and his wife Joan purchased an apartment building and planned to live off the rent for income, but he proved too compassionate for the job of landlord. The Real Reason There Were Two Darrins On Bewitched YouTube By Karen Corday / Jan. 15, 2021 4:50 pm EST It's a question that continues to puzzle people 50 years after it happened: why did the TV show Bewitched suddenly and seemingly inexplicably replace the actor who played Darrin in the middle of its run? Producers, on the other hand, hoped that the audience wouldnt notice when they changed Darrins identity. Dick York - Wikipedia Infinite1UP - Video Games Visit Eddie at his website or at Facebook. Though his career was cut short, York is still fondly remembered to this day, thanks to reruns on Nick at Nite and TV Land, which have kept Bewitched alive for fans young and old. He knew of York's anguish and asked him point blank is he wanted to quit the show. Dick York, the original Stephens, endured immense pain following an injury while filming They Came to Cordura (1959). Why Was 'Bewitched' Really Canceled? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet Science T-Shirts | Sci-Fi T-Shirts | Fantasy T-Shirts The producers didnt agree, so she accepted a role in High Spirits on Broadway and the witch character, now named Samantha, had to be recast. According to Biography.com, the reason behind York's exit ties back to a previous injury that he sustained and subsequent addiction problems that he reportedly dealt with. No wonder Napoleon wasn't in the mood for Josephine - he was busy! "And that was the start of it all the pain, the painkillers, the addiction, the lost career. This later led to a dependency on painkillers and to York missing a handful of Bewitched episodes in seasons 3 and 4. Who would have thought. Darrin went to college with Charlie Harper and Daphne . Some cast members did not even fully understand what a classic theyd made until years after. Source: getty York managed to work through his severe pain for the first four seasons. On the hit 1960s sitcom Bewitched, Dick York played Darrin Stephens, the long-suffering mortal married to witch-turned-housewife, Samantha. Comedy Family Fantasy Angry that the new male child is not named after him, Maurice zaps Darrin into the mirror until the situation is corrected to his satisfaction. His life had already become a daily ritual of drugs, pills, and painkillers. York eventually kicked his addiction to painkillers and dedicated the latter part of his life to charity work. The muscles along the right side of my back tore. Who is the rude band in Old School and Starsky & Hutch? 2023 TIME USA, LLC. The show ran from 1964 to 1972 and had a hugely successful 8-year run. The Stephens house in Bewitched is a mirror image of an actual house in Santa Monica, California, where the 1959 film Gidget was filmed. Elizabeth Montgomery, on the other hand, was the exception to that rule: the actress got to play two different characters. 'Bewitched' Star Dick York: Why the Actor Who Played Darrin - TV And on the set the crew would help me. I continued to work through it." Offers may be subject to change without notice. York did attempt a comeback once he was able to get on his feet, but nothing really opened up for him at that point and it was a bit obvious that his time had come and gone. There was plenty of speculation surrounding why York departed Bewitched. That way when he returned hed be standing in exactly the same spot. York was cast in the series, which lasted one season, as Tom Colwell, who operates a secular youth center.
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