Jerry Paris | |
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 Paris (right) alongsideDick Van Dyke onThe Dick Van Dyke Show | |
| Born | William Gerald Paris (1925-07-25)July 25, 1925 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 31, 1986(1986-03-31) (aged 60) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1949–1986 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
William Gerald Paris (July 25, 1925[1] – March 31, 1986) was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next-door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie onThe Dick Van Dyke Show, and for directing the majority of the episodes of thesitcomHappy Days.
Paris was born on July 25, 1925, inSan Francisco, California.[2] His parents (married in 1921) were Samuel Aaron Paris and Esther Mohl.[3][4] His mother subsequently married Milton Grossman when Paris was a small child,[5] but Paris never legally adopted his stepfather's surname.[6][7][8]
After serving in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II, he attendedNew York University and theActors Studio in New York City. After graduating, Paris moved toLos Angeles, where he attendedUCLA and studied acting at the Actors Lab inHollywood.[9][10]
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Paris had roles in films such asThe Caine Mutiny,The Wild One andMarty. He also played Martin "Marty" Flaherty, one of Eliot Ness's men, in a recurring role in the first season ofABC-TV'sThe Untouchables, as well as making guest appearances on other television series.
After having directed some episodes ofThe Dick Van Dyke Show, in which he also played the recurring character of next-door neighbor and dentist Jerry Helper, Paris won anEmmy Award in the 1963-64 season for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy for the series.[citation needed] He subsequently devoted himself to directing in both film and television, includingThe Partridge Family andHere's Lucy (including the third season opener featuringElizabeth Taylor andRichard Burton), but he worked most notably onHappy Days, for which he directed 237 of the show's 255 episodes. ImitatingAlfred Hitchcock, he appeared uncredited in at least one episode of every season.[citation needed]
Paris also directed episodes ofLaverne & Shirley,The Odd Couple,The Mary Tyler Moore Show,The Ted Knight Show andBlansky's Beauties. He returned to directing feature films in 1985'sPolice Academy 2: Their First Assignment and 1986'sPolice Academy 3: Back in Training. In all, he is credited with directing episodes of 57 TV titles and acting in 105 titles.
Paris married Ruth Lincoln Benjamin in Santa Barbara, California, on December 19, 1954.[11] They had three children, Tony, Julie and Andy. They remained married until her death on August 13, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, at age 51.[12][13]
On March 18, 1986, Paris was hospitalized atCedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors discovered a brain tumor. He underwent two surgeries, but doctors were unable to remove the tumor. Paris remained hospitalized until his death on March 31 at age 60.[10] A private memorial was held at Paris's home inPacific Palisades on April 2.[1]
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