11 Actors from the ’60s Who Ruled the Screen Before Fading Away

The 1960s was a golden age for television and film, with certain actors appearing in what seemed like every show and movie. These familiar faces became part of our living rooms and hearts.

But strangely, many of these once-ubiquitous performers eventually faded from the spotlight, leaving fans wondering whatever happened to them.

1. James MacArthur: Hawaii Five-O’s Reliable Sidekick

Before he became known as “Danno” in Hawaii Five-O, James MacArthur popped up in westerns, war films, and Disney adventures throughout the ’60s. The son of actress Helen Hayes rarely turned down a role.

After leaving the tropical police drama in 1979, MacArthur’s appearances became increasingly rare. He occasionally performed in theater but largely retreated to a quieter life in Palm Desert, California, until his passing in 2010.

2. Yvonne Craig: The Original Batgirl with Amazing Kicks

Kicking criminals while rocking purple spandex, Yvonne Craig carved her place in pop culture as Batgirl. Her dance training (she was a professional ballet dancer!) gave her fight scenes an elegant flair that other actors couldn’t match.

Beyond Gotham City, Craig guest-starred in nearly every major ’60s show from Star Trek to The Man from U.N.C.L.E. After hanging up her cape, she ventured into real estate and later became an advocate for free mammograms.

3. Chad Everett: The Dreamy Doctor of Medical Center

Those blue eyes could heal patients through the television screen! Chad Everett’s dashing Dr. Joe Gannon on Medical Center made housewives schedule their evenings around his show. Before his medical role, Everett appeared in westerns, spy capers, and even a film with Elvis.

While his career cooled in the late ’70s, Everett never completely disappeared. He took smaller roles in shows like Melrose Place and Cold Case, but never recaptured his earlier fame before passing away in 2012.

4. Barbara Feldon: Agent 99’s Spy Game

Smart, sophisticated, and impossibly cool, Barbara Feldon’s Agent 99 on Get Smart broke the mold for female characters. Unlike other women on TV, she was often smarter than her male counterpart—though she let bumbling Maxwell Smart think otherwise.

Feldon’s distinctive voice landed her commercial work before and after her spy days. After a few attempts at new series in the ’70s, she largely stepped away from Hollywood, wrote a book about living single happily, and embraced a peaceful Manhattan life.

5. Michael Callan: The Forgotten Teen Heartthrob

With his boyish charm and dance skills, Michael Callan seemed destined for superstardom after appearing in West Side Story on Broadway. Throughout the ’60s, he bounced between beach movies, comedies, and TV guest spots on everything from The Munsters to 12 O’Clock High.

Despite his versatility, Callan’s leading-man status gradually diminished. By the late ’70s, he was relegated to guest spots and forgettable films. His last notable appearance was a small role in Leprechaun 3 before he faded from Hollywood’s radar.

6. Paula Prentiss: Comedy’s Gangly Goddess

Standing 5’10” with perfect comic timing, Paula Prentiss towered over most of her leading men—literally and figuratively. Her quirky performances in films like What’s New Pussycat? and The Stepford Wives showcased her unique blend of glamour and goofiness.

After starring in the short-lived sitcom He & She with husband Richard Benjamin, Prentiss’s screen appearances became increasingly sporadic.

Though she never officially retired, her once-bustling career slowed to occasional cameos, with fans wondering why such a talented performer vanished.

7. Tuesday Weld: The Wild Child Who Walked Away

Hollywood rarely knew what to do with Tuesday Weld. Too sophisticated for teen roles yet cast in them anyway, Weld brought unexpected depth to films like Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys! and shows including The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

Despite Oscar and Emmy nominations, Weld deliberately stepped back from stardom. “I didn’t want to be a movie star,” she once admitted.

True to her word, she rejected iconic roles in Bonnie and Clyde and Rosemary’s Baby, preferring her privacy to Hollywood’s spotlight.

8. Peter Deuel: The Tragic Star of Alias Smith and Jones

From guest spots on Gidget and The Virginian to starring roles in Love on a Rooftop and Alias Smith and Jones, Peter Deuel (sometimes credited as Pete Duel) charmed audiences with his rugged good looks and natural acting style.

Deuel’s rising career came to a shocking end when he commited suicide in 1971 at just 31. His passing stunned fans and colleagues alike.

The show continued with another actor, but without Deuel’s charisma, it soon faded away—much like the memory of this promising star.

9. Judy Carne: The Original Sock-It-To-Me Girl

“Sock it to me!” became a national catchphrase thanks to British actress Judy Carne’s willingness to get doused with water or suffer other indignities on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Before her comedy breakthrough, Carne appeared in dramas like Fair Exchange and The Baileys of Balboa.

After leaving Laugh-In, Carne’s career nosedived amid personal struggles with drugs and a high-profile divorce from Burt Reynolds. She eventually returned to England, wrote a tell-all memoir, and lived quietly until her passing in 2015.

10. Christopher Jones: The Rebel Who Rejected Fame

Hailed as “the next James Dean,” Christopher Jones had the brooding looks and rebellious attitude Hollywood craves. After starring in the TV series The Legend of Jesse James and films like Wild in the Streets and Ryan’s Daughter, Jones seemed destined for superstardom.

Then, shockingly, at the height of his fame in 1970, Jones walked away from it all. Devastated by Sharon Tate’s murder (they had been romantically involved) and disillusioned with acting, he refused roles for decades.

11. Peggy Lipton: The Mod Squad’s Flower Child Detective

With her long blonde hair and soulful eyes, Peggy Lipton embodied the counterculture spirit as Julie Barnes on The Mod Squad. The groundbreaking show featured her as part of an undercover police trio of hippies solving crimes their straight-laced colleagues couldn’t crack.

After the series ended, Lipton married music producer Quincy Jones and largely retreated from acting to raise their daughters (including future actress Rashida Jones).

She returned occasionally, most notably in Twin Peaks, but never sought to reclaim her earlier level of fame before her passing in 2019.