Dean Jones, who starred in multiple Disney movies and was perhaps best known for playing race-car driver Jim in 1968’s The Love Bug, died on Tuesday, Sept. 1, in Los Angeles at age 84. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his publicist, Richard Hoffman, said the actor passed away due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.
Jones made his acting debut as an uncredited soldier in 1956’s Somebody Up There Likes Me, which starred Paul Newman, and moved on to other television and film roles. But it was with Walt Disney Studios movies where he found his biggest successes.
His first film for the company was 1965’s That Darn Cat!, in which he played an FBI agent. He went on to do a total of 10 films for Disney, including The Love Bug, which was so popular it led to several sequels and even a 1997 remake that Jones narrated.
D23 is sad to report the passing of Disney Legend Dean Jones. http://t.co/Fg8gqEyp5N pic.twitter.com/BwUPocnAos
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) September 2, 2015
Hoffman said in his statement that the actor’s film grosses surpassed $960 million.
Jones is survived by his wife of 42 years, Lory Basham Jones; three children; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.