George Maharis, ‘Route 66’ Alum, Dies at 94

George Maharis is dead.

The "Route 66" actor George Maharis, who later made appearances on "Fantasy Island" and other series, passed away on Wednesday in Beverly Hills.

He was "above all a great guy who would do anything for anyone," according to his friend and carer Marc Bahan, who posted the news of his passing on Facebook. "My dear friend, you will be terribly missed."

George Maharis: Life, Work and Achievements 

Maharis garnered an Emmy nod for his performance as Buz, a dashing working-class man with beatnik tendencies, in the early 1960s television series "Route 66," in which he co-starred with Martin Milner.

The adventure series featured two young men who drive about in a Corvette in search of work and excitement as they strive to discover who they are. It was filmed on location across the United States.

Maharis departed the programme midway through the third season after being admitted to the hospital for hepatitis. Later, in an interview, he said that the only reason he left was for his health and not to pursue greater pay or a career in film.

Later, he made appearances in a variety of films, such as "Sylvia," "The Satan Bug," and "The Happening," before securing a second series role in the 12-episode 1970 series "The Most Deadly Game." One of the first famous people to appear as a naked model for Playgirl was Maharis.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Maharis continued to work in television, taking on a variety of parts in six episodes of "Fantasy Island" and making cameos on shows including "Murder She Wrote," "Police Story," "Kojak," "The Bionic Woman," "Cannon," and "Barnaby Jones."

Maharis also sang, releasing seven albums, with the single "Teach Me Tonight" reaching number one in the charts in 1962. He gave performances in Las Vegas in the 1980s before starting to paint.