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Dick Sargent (1930 - 1993)
In 1969 Dick York suffered a seizure on the set of Bewitched as a result of pain killers he took for a back injury suffered years earlier in his career. Hospitalized for weeks, York was relunctantly let go, and the remainder of the season padded out with stories in which his character was conveniently away on business trips. Dick Sargent was approached again for the part of Darrin and accepted. On the sixth season premiere in September of 1969, the new Darrin Stephens made his first appearance on the show. Sargent found his acceptance on the show to be quite easy, with one noticeable exception. Agnes Moorehead, who played mother-in-law Endora, believed that replacing Dick York was a mistake, stating "they should never meddle with success." Yet Sargent took upon himself to make Moorehead like him, and she eventually came to accept him. With Dick Sargent playing a Darrin who, in contrast to York's portrayal, was more annoyed than flustered at the witchly goings-on, Bewitched lasted three more seasons, making its final broadcast on 1 July, 1972. Many unfairly blame Dick Sargent for the demise of Bewitched, pointing out that its ratings plummeted nearly 15 points when he joined the show. In fact the show had been declining in both ratings and quality since before Dick York left the series, and the replacement of actors in established roles had occurred several times before. Sargent's portrayal of Darrin Stephens was neither better nor worse than York's; it was simply different. That he was able to turn out such an entertaining performance while working with scripts that often rehashed the same plotlines and even dialogue from previous episodes was a credit to his skill as an actor. Following the end of Bewitched, Dick Sargent made guest apearances on numerous othet television shows, including MacMillian and Wife with Rock Hudson, Fantasy Island, Trapper John, MD, Vegas, and Family Ties. He also continued to appear in films. Sargent, however, devoted most of his time to the Special Olympics and World Hunger. In 11 October, 1991, Dick Sargent appeared on The Geraldo Rivera Show, with California Assemblywoman and former Dobie Gillis star Sheila Kuehl, and Rob Eichberg, one of the originators of National Coming Out Day. Dick Sargent acknowledged on the show that he was gay. When asked if Bewitched co-star Elizabeth Montgomery had ever known that he was gay, Sargent quipped, "Well, she knows now." Montgomery herself proudly appeared alongside Sargent in the following year's Orange County Gay Pride Parade, declaring to the public and members of the press, "This is Dick Sargent, and he is my friend!" Many others praised Dick Sargent for his courage, especially after he cited the high rate of suicide among gay teen-agers as one of the reasons he decided to come out. However, in 1993, Dick Sargent was diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer. Fearing that people would wrongly assume he had AIDS, he chose at first to remain silent about his condition. Eventually he revealed the truth to his public. He died in July of 1994. Sargent was cremated and his ashes given to his longtime companion. Bewitched Beography: Dick Sargent Find A Death: Elizabeth Montgomery and the Cast of Bewitched
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