February 19

Actor Dick Sargent

Actor Dick Sargent (1930-1994) was best known as the “second” Darrin on the 1960s TV sit-com, Bewitched. In a strange twist of fate, he was the original choice for the role when the show began, but a studio scheduling conflict prevented his taking the job when production began in 1964. Dick York played the character Darrin from the show’s inception until 1969, when Sargent took over the role, since a chronic back ailment prevented York from continuing the part. The network offered viewers no explanation for the different appearance of Darrin from 1969 through the show’s last season in 1972.

Sargent’s professional career began in the mid 1950s, and he worked until a year before his death from cancer in 1994. There was high drama in the last years of his life, when he openly declared his homosexuality. He called himself a “retroactive role model” in the battle for gay rights. Prior to his coming out in 1991, tabloids had written salacious items about Sargent’s relationship with a “young black guy.” Sargent commented on the tabloid outing at the time: “I'm not against outing in terms of being pegged as gay. I am gay, I always was. It can't really hurt me now, I mean professionally. But for them to reveal it as if they caught you, like some dirty little secret – that was despicable.” Sargent had a long-time male partner for 20 years before the man's death from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1979. From 1989 until his death, Sargent’s partner was African-American producer and writer Albert Williams.

Sargent gave an interview in which he talked about how so many Hollywood marriages are shams, especially those involving a gay actor  – “strategic moves” was the term he used. Dick also commented on the large percentage of gay actors among his Bewitched cast: “Now, whether George Tobias was gay or not, I couldn't say. But he never married, and his friends were always guys; he showed no interest whatsoever in women...”

OK, then. This statement inspired me to do a little Internet research, and I found this comment:

At the funeral of George Tobias, Bob Siler, working as a parking attendant, noticed that there were more World War II vets than anyone else in attendance. One mourner told him that it was “well known among servicemen that if they were in Los Angeles, they were more than welcome to stay at George's ranch instead of spending money on a hotel. Everything was on George, who ‘couldn't do enough’ for the men fighting for his country”. 

Guess that explains it.

Sargent’s take on being recognized as a celebrity: “Most of it is a pain in the ass. Sure, it can get you a theater ticket or a better seat in a restaurant, but a lot of times it's having your dinner interrupted or being asked for an autograph at the urinal.”

In June 1992, Sargent was Grand Marshal of the Los Angeles Gay Pride parade along with actress and former Bewitched co-star Elizabeth Montgomery.

He also spoke about what a gentleman Cary Grant was. The two went out on several dates, but there was no sexual activity, according to Sargent. “He hated being alone. He liked being around good-looking men. In fact, I heard all his secretaries were good-looking young men. He was indeed very closeted, but he didn't avoid you if you were a good-looking guy, the way some others will. I was just thrilled to be socializing with Cary Grant. It was the two of us, we'd go out together, then we'd talk, but nothing else.” Grant and Sargent made two movies together, but Sargent’s screen debut was in a 1954 film with Ronald Reagan (Prisoner of War). I’m not making this up.

When Sargent died after a 4-year struggle with prostate cancer at age 64, with his partner Albert Williams, age 37, at his side.