'Dennis the Menace's Jay North Raised 3 Stepkids Far from Hollywood - He Hated Show Due to Traumatic Set Time with Aunt

• Jay North lived a difficult childhood where his father was an alcoholic, and his mother worked too hard to be by his side.
• At a young age, Jay ventured into acting, but it was not all glory as he suffered under the tyrannical watch of his aunt and uncle.
• The actor has lived an eventful life, as he once worked as a prison warden for 20 years. Still, after going through two bad divorces, Jay eventually found happiness with his third wife.

American actor Jay Waverly North was born on August 3, 1951, in Hollywood, California, USA. He started his career in Hollywood as a child actor on the small screen in TV series such as "Sugarfoot."

The actor rose quickly in the industry as he was soon featured in minor filming on films such as "The Miracle of the Hills" and "The Big Operator."

In the early 1960s, Jay became a household name due to the role he played as Dennis Mitchell on the sitcom "Dennis the Menace." The actor earned $2500 per episode for this TV series in 1961 and a salary of $3500 per episode in 1962.

"Dennis the Menace" was canceled after its fourth season, but Jay landed commercials for the series sponsors, such as Best Food mayonnaise, Kellogg's Cereals, and Skimpy peanut butter.

In his teen, Jay played characters in films, including "Maya" and "Zebra in the Kitchen." The actor went on to appear in other TV films and series such as "The Simpsons" and "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."

A Childhood of Physical and Verbal Abuse

Jay played a lovable little troublemaker in the TV series "Dennis the Menace " in the 50s and 60s when the broadcast was still in black and white. The show ran from 1959 to 1963 and made Jay a star.

The TV star said it was nice to be remembered as the little boy who played in the series. He noted that he gets a very warm feeling when fans from all over the world want to talk about the show:

"Fans that remember and have warm memories of our show. It makes me feel good inside that people still love us and remember us."

The North Hollywood resident favorite memory of the sitcom was working with his cast members, including Gloria Henry, who played his mom, Margaret, Herbert Anderson, who played his dad, and Joseph Kearns and Gale Gordon, who both played Mr. Wilson.

Despite his good times on set and in front of a camera, Jay lived through a sad and abusive childhood at the hands of his aunt and uncle. The actor's parents, Jay and Dorothy North, separated when he was only four.

Jay's father was an alcoholic, and the separation marked the last time the actor ever saw his father. Dorothy later got a busy job as a secretary in the West Coast Branch of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

In her role, Dorothy got the "Dennis the Menace" star a guest spot on a local Los Angeles children's show, "Carton Express," when he was only six. The opportunity opened the door for Jay's acting career as he was soon spotted and taken by a talent agent.

Jay recalled that the audition for "Dennis the Menace" had over 500 boys who had all dyed their hair blond and were wearing denim overalls. The boys conducted a three-minute screen test, and Jay was excited to win:

"I don't think I understood that I would have to spend eight hours every Monday to Friday in the studio with adults…It was lonely."

The "Maya" star disclosed that he did not receive any education on what to expect as a child actor on set and after the fame. He said that he ended up having a strained relationship with kids his age as he never saw ordinary kids or knew how to react to them when they met:

"I never really got the education I should have received…In this business, as a child performer, you are so geared to pleasing the adults around you. They program you. They tell you, you are famous. And you don't realize it will all come to an end."

Jay also never got parental support on set as his mother, who had a full-time job, was unavailable during the day and passed the responsibility to the actor's uncle and aunt to be his adult caretakers.

Geoffrey Mark, an author and a friend to Jay for over 25 years, said the actor ended up being a product of a parent who did not take her responsibility seriously and passed it on to relatives:

"His mother abandoned her responsibilities as a mother and was not there to protect him on the set. She passed that responsibility to greedy relatives who used him for money."

Geoffrey confessed that Jay was always on set, working hard at all times, which made the boy sad at home and while filming. However, Geoffrey added that Jay enjoyed his work and was a talented actor as much as everyone around him used the boy for their personal goals.

Jay on set caretaker's aunt Marie and uncle Hal subjected the young actor to physical and verbal abuse if he did not meet their unrealistic expectations.

The actor also said he does not watch the reruns of "Dennis the Menace" as the show brings back too many bad memories.

Jay remembered how his aunt and uncle behaved when the cameras were on him, "If it took me more than one or two takes, I would be threatened." He added that his aunt and uncle threatened to harm him badly if he dared to report them to his mother:

"I remember I used to wake up every single morning thinking, My God, do I have to spend another day with this woman?"

The 71-year-old recalled the threats of physical and verbal abuse his aunt would subject him to if she disapproved of his acting, "I couldn't be human. I had to be superhuman."

The actor also noted that the cast may not have known of the physical abuse, but they could see he was a sad boy:

"I only came alive and became an outgoing and happy little boy when I was in front of the camera. When I was not on the camera and around the stage, I became a very quiet, introverted kid."

Gloria, who played Jay's mom on set, said she could see that Jay was denied a real childhood as he was separated from other kids. The actress begged Jay's aunt and uncle to take him away from the business, but they never understood its negative impacts:

"I would say to myself, I hope he makes all the money in the world as he's going to need it, later on, to pay for analysts."

Jeannie Rusell, who played Margaret Wade in the sitcom, also said he never saw Jay's aunt hit him but was inclined to believe it because of the demand of acting and the extra pressure Jay's aunt applied on him.

His Difficult Life after "Dennis the Menace"

Jay had a difficult time transitioning after the series due to how unprepared he was for the outside world. Geoffrey noted that the actor did not know how to do everyday things in life:

"When the show finally was canceled, he was unprepared for everything. His education had been laidback. He wasn't trained about life. All he knew was going to the studio…this resulted in him being woefully unprepared for being a teenager or continuing his career or just being a person on the planet."

Geoffrey added that as a result of this unpreparedness, Jay ended up being a good and nice man but also a damaged and angry man.

"The Simpsons" actor also agreed that coping after the series ended was difficult. He could not get new roles as producers and directors only saw him as the boy who played Dennis Mitchell as much as he was now an adult.

Jay was lucky to get cast on guest appearances on TV shows such as "My Three Sons" and "Wagon Train" and the feature film "Maya."

The actor revealed that when he hit his adult years, he got very frustrated as people in the TV and movie industry refused to accept he could play an adult character. Eventually, the hope that Hollywood would rediscover him diminished.

Jay recalled how he dropped off society as despair and depression got the better of him. He went into hibernation and avoided his family, friends, and women. The actor spent his time watching old films and wondered:

"Why am I not loved by the public anymore? It was something that played with my head. All the pressure that I had was to make people love you…all of a sudden, it wasn't there anymore. You go outside, and no one's paying attention to you."

The TV star had to come to terms with his new reality, which led him to join the Navy. However, he dropped out in 1979 when his superior's made fun of his past as a child actor. Jay fell into psychological turmoil and retreated from public life as much as he got a few acting gigs.

The only thing that kept him going at this challenging time was the money he earned playing "Dennis the Menace," which his mother had placed in a trust fund and investments.

The "Scout's Honor" actor also worked in the health food industry for several years and, for 20 years, was a correctional officer for the Florida Department of Corrections.

Jay said that as a child actor, he was never allowed to mature, which played a significant role in his two difficult encounters with divorce:

"I was still a child who had never grown. I'd never been allowed to mature, so I didn't have a clue about how to relate to real life. I'd never been permitted to date as a teenager, so I couldn't relate to women."

In 1998, when rumors circulated that he had died, the actor complained, "I might as well be dead. This town, Hollywood, won't give me a job."

His depression had gotten worse at this moment as Jay admitted that he had even contemplated suicide. However, the 1990 suicide of Rusty Hammer jolted Jay back to reality.

Rusty was a child actor in the sitcom "Make Room for Daddy" and, like Jay, was depressed when the show came to an end, which eventually led him to die by suicide. Jay remembered that Rusty's death was his turning point:

"I figured if it could happen to him, then it could to me. I mean, I had been contemplating suicide, too. If I'd kept guns in the house, I probably wouldn't be here now."

Jay's Happiness Away from Hollywood

Geoffrey said that Jay deserved a better shake and a happier life as he was talented, good-looking, charming, and intelligent:

"And I think he's a classic example of what happens to a child with those qualities where no adult actively advocates for their welfare."

Jay may not have found this joy in Hollywood, but he worked hard to rebuild his life, starting with therapy. Paul Peterson of "The Donna Reed Show" reached out to Jay and put him in touch with a therapist.

Paul, who saw what was happening to child actors, was afraid Jay would take a similar path as Rusty and developed an organization called "A Minor Consideration," which offers support to child actors.

With Paul's help, Jay started rebuilding his life and married his third wife, Cindy Hackney, in 1993 when he was 42 years old. The actor revealed that he and Cindy had purchased a three-bedroom lakefront home near Jacksonville, where he was taking another chance at a happy life:

"I am finally starting a new life and burying Dennis Mitchell. I need very badly to again be Jay North, whoever that is."

The actor also said he does not watch the reruns of "Dennis the Menace" as the show brings back too many bad memories.

However, Jay resolved to do counseling work with a group that counsels young performers so that he could also help current and future child actors to deal with their unusual lives.

He also offered guidance and help he did not get as a young actor after "Dennis the Menace" was canceled to ex-child actors who are coming to terms with the Hollywood program of use and rejection.

Jay, who now enjoys a suburban life, is a stepfather to three daughters and has found love and happiness in his new family. The actor is also doing well financially, as his net worth is $500 thousand.