Jay North got his big break in the late 1950s when he landed the titular role in Dennis the Menace. The Hollywood, California, native almost didn’t get the gig, but after auditioning for a second time, casting directors eventually selected him. Four seasons later, Dennis the Menace was canceled, but North still increased his fortune and overall net worth after being cast in more films and TV shows.
Unfortunately, in April 2025, North died following a battle with colon cancer. He was 73. North’s friends Jon Provost and Laurie Jacobson confirmed the news in a Facebook post.
“Jeanne Russell just called us with terribly sad, but not unexpected news. Our dear friend Jay North has been fighting cancer for a number of years, and this morning at noon EST, Jay passed peacefully at home,” the announcement read. “As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after…but he did not let it define his life. He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called us frequently and ended every conversation with ‘I love you with all my heart.’ And we loved him with all of ours. A life-long friend of Jon’s, a brother to Jeanne and a dear friend to me, we will miss him terribly. He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last he is at peace.”
Below, learn more about North’s life and career after Dennis the Menace.
North was a child star and actor, best known for playing Dennis in Dennis the Menace for all four seasons. He continued with acting until the 2000s.
During a 1993 interview, North discussed struggling with his stardom as a young boy.
“Between the pressures of the business and Joe’s dying, I became very serious, very morbid and very withdrawn from the world. I was the antithesis of the little kid that I played on the television show,” North said, per The Hollywood Reporter.
