Former Child Star Darryl Hickman Dead at 92

Hickman appeared in 'The Grapes of Wrath' and 'Leave Her to Heaven' as a child.

By Megan Behnke

Child star Darryl Hickman has passed away at 92. Deadline reports that the Leave Her to Heaven actor, who also appeared in who also appeared in If I Were King, Emergency Squad, and The Grapes of Wrath as a kid died on Wednesday, May 22 according to his family. As of now, a cause of death has not been reported.

Hickman, also known for voice acting in multiple Scooby-Doo iterations, was born in Hollywood on July 28, 1931. After being discovered by a dance school director, he signed a contract at Paramount and made his film debut in 1937's The Prisoner of Zenda.

Other movies that Hickman was known for as a child include The Way of All Flesh, Untamed, Young People, Mob Town, Young America, Northwest Rangers, Assignment in Brittany, and more. He continuously acted in movies through the late '80s, also appearing in The Tragedy of King Lear, The Persuader, Prisoner of War, Sea of Lost Ships, Island in the Sky, Submarine Command, Lightning Strikes Twice and Many Rivers to Cross.

Darryl Hickman then spent most of the late '80s and '90s on the TV side, appearing in episodes of Baywatch, Beauty and the Beast, and Wiz Kids. He lent his voice to many shows, including Pac-Man, The Biskits, Pole Position, Super Friends, The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. Hickman also provided voices for Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo from 1979 to 1983. 

Other roles throughout his career included All in the Family, Maude, The Americans, and Space Stars. He appeared in four episodes of The Nanny from 1997 to 1999, which served as his final role.

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Acting wasn't all that Darryl Hickman did in the industry. He later became a television executive, producer, and screenwriter in New York City. He wrote a few episodes of The Loretta Young Show and an episode of Hawaiian Eye in 1961 and produced the TV series A Year at the Top in 1977. From 1975 to 1977, he served as an executive producer of the CBS soap opera Love of Life. Additionally, he was the head of CBS daytime programming for almost five years.

Later in life, Hickman was an acting coach and published The Unconscious Actor: Out of Control, in Full Command in 2007, which focused on acting techniques. He had a lengthy career in the industry, both on-screen and off, and he certainly had an impact that will last for years to come.

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