Dick Sargent

Dick Sargent
Name	Dick Sargent
Roles	Darrin Stephens Darrin the Bold
Birthdate	April 19, 1930
Birthplace	Carmel, California, United States
Death Date	July 8, 1994 (age 64)
Death Place	Los Angeles, California, United States

Dick Sargent portrayed Darrin Stephens in the last three seasons of Bewitched (1969-1972). He assumed the role after Dick York left the series in 1969.

Career

Dick Sargent was born Richard Stanford Cox. He took the name Dick Sargent from a Saturday Evening Post illustrator/artist of the same name. He attended the San Rafael Military Academy in Menlo Park, California before majoring in drama at Stanford University.

Sargent appeared in feature films following his debut in Prisoner of War (1954). He appeared in The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Bernardine (1957), Operation Petticoat (1959) starring Cary Grant, and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966). He was a regular on three short-lived television comedies - One Happy Family (1961), Broadside (1964), and The Tammy Grimes Show (1966), which lasted only four episodes.

Bewitched

For three seasons (1969-1972), he played Darrin Stephens on Bewitched, replacing ailing actor Dick York. Sargent had successfully auditioned for the role of Darrin before York was cast. However, he was under contract at the time and could not accept the offer because he was a regular on "Broadside", the studio's spin-off of "McHale's Navy". When York had to quit in 1969 due to a debilitating back injury, Sargent was hired to replace him. He played the character through the end of the series' run.

After Bewitched, he continued to work steadily in television and film during the 1970s and 1980s.

Private Life

Grand Marshalls Dick Sargent and Elizabeth Montgomery at the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade in 1992

On National Coming Out Day in 1991, Sargent publicly declared his homosexuality and supported gay rights issues. The high rate of suicide among young gay people was the main reason. He jokingly referred to himself as a "retroactive role model". He lived with his partner Albert Williams for eight years until his passing (1986–1994). In June 1992, Sargent was a Grand Marshal of the Los Angeles Gay Pride parade along with his former co-star, Elizabeth Montgomery.

Sargent was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1989. He recognized that his ill health from prostate cancer may have led people to assume he suffered from AIDS. Doctors were initially optimistic that it could be treated. However, the disease continued to spread and, by early 1994, he had become seriously ill. Sargent died from the disease on July 8, 1994, at age 64.

Former Bewitched co-star Elizabeth Montgomery commented, "He was a great friend, and I will miss his love, his sense of humor and his remarkable courage."