Actor, producer and director Dwayne Hickman, who rose to fame opposite Bob Denver (pre-Gilligan’s Island) in sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, died of complications related to Parkinson’s disease on Sunday. He was 87 years old.
Born on May 18, 1934 in Los Angeles, Hickman's first screen appearances were as an extra in films The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 and Men of Boys Town in 1941, which featured his older brother Daryl. Other early screen roles were in the 1942 Our Gang (aka The Little Rascals) comedy short Melodies Old and New, Captain Eddie (1945), The Hoodlum Saint (1946), Faithful in My Fashion (1946) and The Secret Heart (1946).
Hickman appeared in different roles in the Columbia Pictures’ family-film series Rusty: The Return of Rusty in 1946; For The Love of Rusty and The Son of Rusty in 1947; My Dog Rusty and Rusty Leads The Way in 1947; and Rusty’s Birthday and Rusty Saves a Life in 1949.
As a teenager, Hickman also acted in films Heaven Knows opposite Bob Cummings (who he later appeared opposite in sitcom The Bob Cummings Show from 1955 to 1959), Her Husband’s Affairs (1948), The Boy With Green Hair (1948), The Sun Comes Up (1949), Mighty Joe Young (1949), and The Happy Years.
In 1959, Hickman earned the lead role on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which aired through 1963. The program spawned two sequels, the pilot Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis? in 1977, which never went to series, and the TV Movie Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis in 1988.
After attending Loyola University in the 1960s and earning a degree in economics, Hickman returned on camera in films such as How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, Ski Party and Cat Ballou. He also acted in television series and performed on stage in touring productions.
Typecast as a teenager, Hickman shifted from acting to serving as a programming executive at CBS from 1977 to 1988. There he supervised productions such as comedies MASH, Maude and Designing Women, and he directed various episodes of different half-hour comedies (including aforementioned Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis).
During his tenure at CBS, Hickman made a cameo appearance in the TV movie High School U.S.A. in 1983.
In later years, he guest-starred in Murder, She Wrote, appeared in comedy film A Night at the Roxbury, and made occasional appearances in sitcom Clueless from 1996 to 1999.
Hickman was also an artist, and he co-authored his biography Forever Dobie: The Many Lives of Dwayne Hickman.
Hickman was married three times. In 1983, he wed Joan Roberts, who he remained married to for the remainder of his life. Hickman is survived by his wife and sons Albert and John Hickman.
