Dick Sargent
Encyclopedia
Richard Stanford Cox known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on the television
series Bewitched
. The actor took the name Dick Sargent from a Saturday Evening Post
illustrator/artist of the same name.
, Sargent had appeared in films since his debut in Prisoner of War
(1954). When Dick York
was forced to leave the Bewitched
series owing to health problems in 1969, Sargent stepped into the role. He had first been offered the role in 1964 before William Asher
and Elizabeth Montgomery
were involved but was under contract to Universal Studios
and unable to accept it. His efforts were focused on the short-lived sitcom Broadside instead. He also appeared in The Great Locomotive Chase starring Fess Parker
, Operation Petticoat
starring Cary Grant
, and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
starring Don Knotts
. Sargent played Darrin until the show ended in 1972.
Sargent continued to work in film and made numerous guest appearances on various television shows, including one episode of Three's Company
, The Waltons
, Charlie's Angels
, Knots Landing
, Family Ties
and two episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard
. He also portrayed himself in a 1993 Columbo episode. In the mid-1980s, he landed the steady role of Richard Preston, the widowed father, in the syndicated sitcom Down to Earth
. He also appeared in the witch-themed movie Teen Witch
in 1989.
Throughout the 1980s, he joined actress Sally Struthers
as an advocate of the Christian Children's Fund, which brought relief to developing nations' children.
and supported gay rights
issues. He had long hidden his sexual orientation, appearing with lesbian
actress Fannie Flagg
on Tattletales
as a couple. He lived with his domestic partner, Albert Williams, until his death in 1994.
In June 1992, Sargent was a Grand Marshal of the Los Angeles Gay Pride
parade along with actress and former Bewitched co-star Elizabeth Montgomery
.
Sargent died on July 8, 1994 from prostate cancer
at the age of 64. His remains were cremated.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
. The actor took the name Dick Sargent from a Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
illustrator/artist of the same name.
Biography
Born Richard Stanford Cox in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CaliforniaCarmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea, often called simply Carmel, is a small city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, the town is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history...
, Sargent had appeared in films since his debut in Prisoner of War
Prisoner of War (film)
Prisoner of War is a 1954 American war drama film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Ronald Reagan, Steve Forrest, Dewey Martin and Oskar Homolka.-Synopsis:...
(1954). When Dick York
Dick York
Richard Allen "Dick" York was an American actor. He is best remembered for his role as the first Darrin Stephens on the ABC television fantasy sitcom Bewitched...
was forced to leave the Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
series owing to health problems in 1969, Sargent stepped into the role. He had first been offered the role in 1964 before William Asher
William Asher
William Asher is an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early directors in the budding television industry, producing or directing over two dozen of the leading television series.With television in its infancy, he introduced the...
and Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.-Early life:Born in Los...
were involved but was under contract to Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
and unable to accept it. His efforts were focused on the short-lived sitcom Broadside instead. He also appeared in The Great Locomotive Chase starring Fess Parker
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...
, Operation Petticoat
Operation Petticoat
Operation Petticoat is a 1959 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. It was the basis for a television series in 1977 starring John Astin in Grant's role...
starring Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
, and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a 1966 American Universal Pictures feature film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house, which is located in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas...
starring Don Knotts
Don Knotts
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
. Sargent played Darrin until the show ended in 1972.
Sargent continued to work in film and made numerous guest appearances on various television shows, including one episode of Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
, The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
, Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
, Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
, Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
and two episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
. He also portrayed himself in a 1993 Columbo episode. In the mid-1980s, he landed the steady role of Richard Preston, the widowed father, in the syndicated sitcom Down to Earth
Down to Earth (TV series)
Down to Earth was an American fantasy situation comedy series that ran on Superstation TBS from 1984 to 1987. It was produced by Procter & Gamble Productions and was the superstation's first original series.-Premise:...
. He also appeared in the witch-themed movie Teen Witch
Teen Witch
Teen Witch is a 1989 fantasy teen comedy film starring Robyn Lively. It was originally pitched as a female version of the 1985 Teen Wolf, although it later was reworked and turned into a film of its own...
in 1989.
Throughout the 1980s, he joined actress Sally Struthers
Sally Struthers
Sally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
as an advocate of the Christian Children's Fund, which brought relief to developing nations' children.
Personal life
In 1991, Sargent publicly declared his homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and supported gay rights
LGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
issues. He had long hidden his sexual orientation, appearing with lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
actress Fannie Flagg
Fannie Flagg
Patricia Neal , known professionally as Fannie Flagg, is an American actress, comedienne and author. She is perhaps best-known for the 1988 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was adapted into the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes; Flagg was nominated for an Academy Award for...
on Tattletales
Tattletales
Tattletales is a game show which first aired on the CBS daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with several announcers, including Jack Clark, Gene Wood, Johnny Olson and John Harlan, providing the voiceover at various times...
as a couple. He lived with his domestic partner, Albert Williams, until his death in 1994.
In June 1992, Sargent was a Grand Marshal of the Los Angeles Gay Pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
parade along with actress and former Bewitched co-star Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.-Early life:Born in Los...
.
Sargent died on July 8, 1994 from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
at the age of 64. His remains were cremated.