RIP May 2023
George Maharis.
94 years old.
Made his name on the TV series Route 66, which ran from 1960 to 1963, but Maharis had to quit the show before the run ended due to hapatitis b (and yet he lived to 94.)
On the series, Maharis tooled around the United States as the driving buddy of Martin Milner, with episodes being filmed in as many states as the series could travel to, and major guest stars(and pretty women) waiting in each town(these guys were not gay). Once Maharis went down ill, Milner drove around alone for a few episodes and then picked up a NEW travel buddy in Glenn Corbett.
Maharis got a couple of movie leads after Route 66(Quick Before it Melts and especially the deadly virus thriller The Satan Bug), but stardom didn't take. It looks like he worked in TV guest shots for decades after Route 66 put him on the map.
In Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," TV actor Rick Dalton(Leo diCaprio) notes that before Steve McQueen got his lead in The Great Escape, Dalton was up against "the three Georges" for the role:
George Peppard
George Maharis
George Chakiris
...which really didn't fit. Around 1963, only George Peppard was leading man quality.
Still, to George Maharis: on the map in the 60's with Route 66; honored in a Tarantino film in 2019. 94 years.