Dwayne Hickman was an actor who starred in the title role of the classic sitcom “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.”
- Died: January 9, 2022 (Who else died on January 9?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles of complications of Parkinson’s disease at the age of 87.
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Acting career
Hickman got his start as a child actor and became well-known in his late teens, when he co-starred as Chuck MacDonald in the 1950s sitcom “The Bob Cummings Show.” By the time he played a lovelorn teenager in “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” Hickman was in his mid-20s, but he helped make the sitcom a hit. With Bob Denver (1935–2005) as Dobie’s beatnik best friend, “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” was one of the first sitcoms for focus on the lives of teens and the counterculture. Hickman went on to appear in movies including “Cat Ballou,” “Ski Party,” “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini,” and “A Night at the Roxbury.” His later TV appearances included “The Mod Squad,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Clueless.” Hickman also directed episodes of such TV shows as “Designing Women” and “Sister, Sister,” and he worked in production and as a TV executive.
Notable quote
“Even though I have played many different characters and led many different lives, when people hear the name Dwayne Hickman, only one thing comes to mind. So, rather than fight it, I have decided to just go with it and enjoy it because it seems no matter where I go or what I do, for the rest of my life I’ll be … Forever Dobie.” —from Hickman’s autobiography, “Forever Dobie”
Tributes to Dwayne Hickman
Full obituary: The New York Times
