Dick Sargent
Dick Sargent, born Richard Stanford Cox on April 19, 1930, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, was an American actor best known for playing Darrin Stephens on the TV show Bewitched from 1969 to 1972. He chose the professional name Dick Sargent from a Saturday Evening Post illustrator with the same name.
He came from a family with ties to Hollywood. His mother, Ruth McNaughton, used the stage name Ruth Powell and acted in a few films. His father, Elmer Cox, served in World War I and later helped manage careers in Hollywood. Sargent studied drama at Stanford University and acted in many stage productions there.
Sargent began his film career in 1954 with Prisoner of War and appeared in several other movies, including The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Bernardine (1957), Operation Petticoat (1959), and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966). He also acted in several TV comedies during the early 1960s.
In Bewitched, he took over the role of Darrin Stephens after the original actor, Dick York, became ill. He played Darrin for three seasons, helping the show continue its popular run.
Beyond Bewitched, Sargent acted in films such as Hardcore (1979) and Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979), and appeared on many TV programs, including The Dukes of Hazzard. He also starred in the TV show Down to Earth in the mid-1980s and appeared in Teen Witch (1989).
Sargent was active in charity work and supported organizations like the Christian Children's Fund and AIDS-related causes. In 1991, he publicly came out as gay and supported gay rights, explaining that he hoped to be a positive example for young people. He lived with his partner, Albert Williams, for many years.
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1989. Despite treatment, the cancer spread, and he died on July 8, 1994, in Los Angeles at age 64. His body was cremated. Elizabeth Montgomery, his Bewitched co-star, called him a great friend and said she would miss his courage and humor.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:08 (CET).