Jerry Paris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Paris
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Paris (right) alongside Dick Van Dyke on The Dick Van Dyke Show
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| Born |
William Gerald Paris
July 25, 1925 San Francisco, California, U.S.
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| Died | March 31, 1986 (aged 60) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1949–1986 |
| Spouse(s) |
Ruth Benjamin
(m. 1954; died 1980) |
| Children | 3 |
Jerry Paris (born William Gerald Paris on July 25, 1925 – died March 31, 1986) was an American actor and director. He is probably best known for playing Jerry Helper, the friendly dentist and next-door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on the popular TV show The Dick Van Dyke Show. He also directed most of the episodes of another famous TV show called Happy Days.
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Jerry Paris: Actor and Director
Jerry Paris had a long career in Hollywood. He was known for both acting in movies and TV shows, and for directing many popular comedies.
Early Life and Education
Jerry Paris was born in San Francisco, California. His real last name was Paris, not Grossman, which was his stepfather's name.
After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, he went to college. He studied at New York University and the Actors Studio in New York City. Later, he moved to Los Angeles and continued his acting studies at UCLA and the Actors Lab in Hollywood.
Becoming an Actor
Jerry Paris appeared in several movies early in his career. Some of these included The Caine Mutiny, The Wild One, and Marty.
He also had a regular role in the first season of the TV show The Untouchables. In this show, he played Martin "Marty" Flaherty, one of Eliot Ness's team members. He also made guest appearances on many other TV series.
Directing Big TV Shows
Jerry Paris started directing episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show, where he also acted as Jerry Helper. He was so good at directing comedy that he won an Emmy Award in 1963-64 for his work on the show!
After that, he spent most of his time directing. He directed episodes for many famous TV shows like The Partridge Family and Here's Lucy. But his biggest directing job was for Happy Days. He directed an amazing 237 out of 255 episodes of that show! He even made small, uncredited appearances in at least one episode of every season of Happy Days, just like famous director Alfred Hitchcock used to do.
Paris also directed episodes of other popular shows such as Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
His Later Work
Later in his career, Jerry Paris returned to directing movies. He directed Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment in 1985 and Police Academy 3: Back in Training in 1986. Overall, he directed episodes for 57 different TV shows and acted in 105 titles!
Family and Legacy
Jerry Paris married Ruth Lincoln Benjamin on December 19, 1954. They had three children named Tony, Julie, and Andy. They were married until Ruth passed away in 1980.
In March 1986, Jerry Paris became ill and was taken to the hospital. Doctors found a brain tumor. He had surgery, but they could not remove the tumor. Jerry Paris passed away on March 31, 1986, at the age of 60. A small memorial was held at his home in Pacific Palisades.
Jerry Paris's Famous Work
Here are some of the well-known movies and TV shows Jerry Paris worked on.
As an Actor
- The Caine Mutiny (1954) as Ensign Barney Harding
- Marty (1955) as Tommy
- The Untouchables (1959-1960) as Agent Martin Flaherty
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966) as Jerry Helper
As a Director
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1963–66) (84 episodes)
- Here's Lucy (1968)
- The Partridge Family (1970) (pilot episode)
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)
- The Odd Couple (1970–75) (19 episodes)
- Happy Days (1974–84) (237 episodes)
- Blansky's Beauties (1977)
- Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985)
- Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986)
