George Maharis Cause of Death
Actor George Maharis died Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills, his longtime friend and caregiver Marc Bahan told THR. He was 94.
The Queens native got his start with off-Broadway productions of Jean Genet’s Deathwatch and Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story in the late 1950s. He appeared in TV shows such as Studio One, Naked City and Search for Tomorrow before landing a series role on Route 66 in 1960.
Route 66
In 1946, Bobby Troup wrote the song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” to commemorate his road trip from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles. The song became a hit, and Route 66 gained national fame as a symbol of freedom and escape for people trying to make a new start in America. It is also known as the Mother Road, and was portrayed in John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath and Disney/Pixar’s Cars.
Maharis began his acting career in the late 1940s with off-Broadway productions and then moved to television, appearing in several series including Naked City. His most notable role was as Buz Murdock in the CBS drama Route 66, which ran for four seasons between 1960 and 1964. His enigmatic portrayal of the character earned him an Emmy nomination in 1962. In 1970 he appeared as criminologist Jonathan Croft on the ABC series The Most Deadly Game. He died on Wednesday (May 24) at his home in Beverly Hills, according to a Facebook post by his friend and caregiver Marc Bahan.
Fantasy Island
He starred in the series Route 66 for three seasons as Buz Murdock, earning an Emmy nomination. He also appeared on the TV series Naked City, Goodyear Television Playhouse and on off-Broadway productions of Jean Genet’s Deathwatch and Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story.
He was also a singer and an artist, releasing several pop music albums during the ’60s. He would later appear in films such as Sylvia, The Satan Bug and The Happening before landing a regular role on the 1970 series The Most Deadly Game.
The new Fantasy Island takes place at a resort where guests can have their fantasies fulfilled, but things don’t always go as planned. The show’s storylines are darker and sexier, and it focuses more on the loss of intimacy than the original series did. Montalban is great, as usual, but I miss the snarky wit of Maharis.
The Most Deadly Game
George Maharis first got his start in the acting business with an off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s Deathwatch, followed by a stint in the US Marines and study at the Actors Studio. His career really took off in 1959 when he was cast as Buz Murdock on the Naked City spin-off Route 66, and he earned an Emmy nomination for his continuing performance on the series. He returned to TV in 1970 with the ABC series The Most Deadly Game, as criminologist Jonathan Croft, but the show only lasted 12 episodes. Maharis also appeared in several television movies, including Quick Before It Melts, Sylvia, The Satan Bug, A Covenant with Death and The Happening, as well as a number of television episodes of Search for Tomorrow, Police Story and Fantasy Island. He made his last film appearance in 1993’s Doppelganger.
Maharis died in May 24, 2004 at age 94. He was buried in Flushing, Queens.
Playgirl
Playgirl is an American magazine that has a long legacy of promoting nude and semi-nude men. It has also had a large gay readership. It is now relaunching and is featuring Oscar-nominated actress Chloe Sevigny on its cover.
Maharis starred in multiple television series over the years, including Naked City spin-off Route 66 and The Most Deadly Game. His character Buz Murdock earned him an Emmy nomination in 1962. He also appeared in a number of films, including The Bionic Woman and Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby. His last appearance was in 1993’s Doppelganger, starring Drew Barrymore and George Newbern.
On this album, Zouai splits her persona into three distinct tracks: the flirtatious “Playgirl,” the softer “Dreamgirl,” and the darkly mysterious “Partygirl.” She’s at her best when she’s playing, like on the languid, sultry ”Picking Berries,” which pairs her honeyed speaking voice with floating melodic runs that recall Algerian rai music. This evocative music can be a welcome break from Playgirl’s hyper-digital overload, although it’s hard to escape the nagging sense that she’s trying to prove something.
