Jay North-Dennis the Menace
Jay North was a household name and is even popular on television to this day. As the title character of Dennis the Menace he had a wonderful run in the 60s as the well-meaning trouble maker. He continued working as an actor, especially taking on voice over roles, such as a teenage Bamm-Bamm Rubble on The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.
North left acting for a while and told about his troubled childhood as an actor. Working with fellow former child star Paul Petersen, he joined an organization called A Minor Consideration. The goal is to help child stars deal with the entertainment industry and still have a healthy childhood.
Later in his life, he was the center of many hoaxes in which people would claim to be him and use his fame to get into Hollywood parties and rent limousines. This was not a one time deal. In 1999 news broke that North had died in a doctors office. This was not true, but the rumors swirled through the United Press International and other bodies as well.
In 1990, North spoke with Paul Petersen and told him that their former co-child star Rusty Hamer from The Danny Thomas Show had killed himself. With the help of other friends from his youth, Petersen got North in touch with a therapist. This was partly due to the fact that North was still dealing with anger about his early career. This is the reason he joined A Minor Consideration.
He spent some time as a correctional officer to help troubled youth in Florida’s juvenile justice system as as of 2011 he is still working for the Florida Department of Corrections. He did see a resurgence in those interested in him after the release of the 1993 film Dennis the Menace which led him to attend shows and reconnect with fans.