Former childhood star John Eimen has died at the age of 76.
His family revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Eimen died of prostate cancer on Friday at his home in Mukilteo, Washington.
Eimen’s acting career began when he moved to Los Angeles at six. He was discovered by a talent agent visiting his first-grade classroom.
In 2020, the actor recalled on The Jeff Dwoskin Show that his “ridiculously bright red hair and the freckles, a really real all-American boy-type kid” caught the agent’s attention. Eimen said, “She asked my teacher if maybe she could contact my parents.” He explains his mother was “all for it”, claiming “he’s always been a little bit starstruck.”
After a series of minor roles, he landed a part as Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver’s classmate in the sitcom Leave It to Beaver that aired in 1957. He then went on to appear in the 1960s shows McKeever and the Colonel, The Comedy Spot, and The Twilight Zone.
In his memoir published with TV Party, he shared that he was hired to star in the 1961 drama Dr. Kate. “It seemed that a big break had come my way when I was chosen to play her son Tommy,” he said. However, Jane Wyman reportedly backed out of the show because she was dissatisfied with the show’s ”after-primetime" scheduling. Eimen was disappointed because the show ”had the possibility to run for many years, considering Ms. Wyman’s status as an Academy Award-winning actress.”
The former child star put acting behind him and moved to Japan in 1974, where he taught English. During this time, he began working as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He performed in local clubs in Osaka and on Japanese television.
While abroad, he met his wife, Midori, a native of Japan. The two married in a traditional Shinto ceremony. They were married for 51 years at the time of his death. The actor left behind had two sons, Daniel and Chris, and two grandsons, Lucas and Oliver.
In the mid-1990s, Eimen returned to the United States, working for 25 years as a flight attendant before retiring in 2020. A memorial service is being planned for the star.
