Jay North
Actor
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jay Waverly North (August 3, 1951 – April 6, 2025) was an American actor. Beginning a career as a child actor at the age of six, he became a household name during the early 1960s for his role as the well-meaning but mischievous Dennis Mitchell on the CBS situation comedy Dennis the Menace, based on the comic strip created by Hank Ketcham.
As a teen, North had roles in two Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature films Zebra in the Kitchen and Maya, as well as starring in the NBC television series adaptation of the latter film, also titled Maya. As an adult, he turned to voice acting work for animated television series, voicing the roles of Prince Turhan in the Arabian Knights segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour and a teenaged Bamm-Bamm Rubble on The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.
After leaving show business and disclosing the truth of a troubled childhood as a child actor, North began working with fellow former child star Paul Petersen and the organization A Minor Consideration, using his experiences as a child performer to counsel other children working within the entertainment industry.
Filmography
The Unbreakable Boy
as Burger Patron (uncredited) 2025
Pepe
as Jay North 1960
The Teacher
as Sean Roberts 1974
Wild Wind
as Captain Schofield 1985
The Big Operator
as Timmy Gibson 1959
Maya
as Terry Bowen 1966
Zebra in the Kitchen
as Chris Carlyle 1965
Scout's Honor
as Grogan's Dad 1980
Lassie: Joyous Sound
as Jim (Curly-Haired Surfer) 1972
The Pledge of Allegiance
as Narrator 1971
The Miracle of the Hills
as Davey Leonard 1959