It’s believed that Darren had initially gone to hospital for an aortic valve replacement, only to be judged too weak to safely undergo the procedure.

He was subsequently sent home, but returned to hospital a short time later.

“I always thought he would pull through,” his son Jim said, “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”

Darren shot to prominence as a teen idol after landing the role of surfer Moondoggie in 1959’s Gidget. He reprised the role in the two sequels Gidget Goes Hawaiian and Gidget Goes to Rome.

The actor also had a recurring role as police officer Jim Corrigan on T.J