Dick York
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{{Unreferenced|date=December 2007}}
{{Infobox actor
| name = Dick York
| image = Dickyork.JPG
| imagesize = 250px
| caption = Dick York in ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' television episode “[[A Penny for Your Thoughts]]”
| birthdate = {{birth date|1928|9|4|mf=y}}
| location = [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| height = 6'1" (185 cm)
| deathdate = {{death date and age|1992|2|20|1928|9|4|mf=y}}
| deathplace = [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| birthname = Richard Allen York
| othername =
| homepage =
| notable role = Darrin Stevens #1 on ''[[Bewitched]]''
}}
'''Dick York''' ([[September 4]], [[1928]] – [[February 20]], [[1992]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[actor]] in [[radio]], [[Broadway theatre|Broadway stage]], and [[television]].
==Biography==
===Early life and career===
Born '''Richard Allen York''' in [[Fort Wayne, Indiana|Fort Wayne]], [[Indiana]], York grew up in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], where a [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] nun first recognized his vocal promise. He began his career at age 15 as the star of the [[CBS]] [[radio program]] ''That Brewster Boy''. He also appeared in hundreds of other radio shows and instructional films before heading to [[New York City]], where he acted on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in ''Tea and Sympathy'' and ''Bus Stop''. He performed with stars including [[Paul Muni]] and [[Joanne Woodward]] in live television broadcasts and with [[Janet Leigh]], [[Jack Lemmon]], and [[Gary Cooper]] in movies, including ''[[My Sister Eileen]]'', ''[[Cowboy]]'', and ''[[They Came to Cordura]]''. He played the role of Bertram Cates ([[John Scopes]]), the young teacher charged with teaching the theory of evolution, in the 1960 classic ''[[Inherit the Wind]]'' starring [[Spencer Tracy]], [[Fredric March]], and [[Gene Kelly]]. He went on to star with Kelly in the television comedy/drama ''Going My Way'', and to appear in dozens of episodes of now-classic TV shows, including ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'', ''[[Wagon Train]]'', ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', and ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]''.
York is best known as the first actor to play Darrin Stephens in the 1960s [[sitcom]] ''[[Bewitched]]''. The show was a huge success and York was nominated for an [[Emmy]] in 1968, but a debilitating back injury he had suffered on the set of ''[[They Came to Cordura]]'' caused him increasing [[back pain|pain]]. During the fifth season on the sitcom, he collapsed on the ''Bewitched'' set and was rushed to a hospital. From his hospital bed, he resigned from the show to devote himself to recovery. For the 1969-70 season, he was replaced in the TV series by actor [[Dick Sargent]], who held the role until the series ended in 1972.
===Later years===
Largely bedridden, York battled not only his back pain but an addiction to prescription pain pills.
In his posthumously-published memoir, ''[[The Seesaw Girl and Me]]'', he describes the struggle to break his addiction and to come to grips with the loss of his career. The book is in large part a love letter to his wife, Joan, the seesaw girl of the title, who stuck with him through the hard times. York eventually beat his addiction and tried to revive his career. He appeared on several prime-time TV shows including ''[[Simon and Simon]]'' and ''[[Fantasy Island]]''.
York, once a heavy smoker, spent his final years battling [[emphysema]]. While bedridden in his [[Rockford, Michigan]] home, he founded [[Acting for Life]], a private charity to help the [[homeless]] and others in need. Using his telephone as his pulpit, York motivated [[politician]]s, business people, and regular people to contribute supplies and money. York is buried in Plainfield Cemetery in [[Rockford, Michigan]].
==External links==
* {{imdb name|name=Dick York|id=0948685}}
* {{ibdb name|id=65868|name=Dick York}}
* {{tv.com person|5831|Dick York}}
* {{Find A Grave|id=3135}}
* [http://www.bewitched.net/filmfax.htm All About Dick York]
{{Bewitched}}
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME= York, Dick
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= York, Richard Allen
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= Actor
|DATE OF BIRTH= [[September 4]], [[1928]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]], [[United States|U.S.]]
|DATE OF DEATH= [[February 20]], [[1992]]
|PLACE OF DEATH= [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]], [[United States|U.S.]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:York, Dick}}
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:American television actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from emphysema]]
[[Category:Indiana actors]]
[[Category:People from Fort Wayne, Indiana]]
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