Musician, actor, and original Mouseketeer Mickey Rooney Jr. has died at the age of 77. His longtime companion Chrissie Brown told The Hollywood Reporter that he died on Saturday in his Glendale, AZ, home. The cause of death is unknown. Along with all of his professions in entertainment, Rooney Jr. is known for being the eldest son of Mickey Rooney, an acting legend who had many notable roles in film and television. Rooney Jr. was a product of his father’s first marriage to 1944’s Miss Alabama Betty Jane Baker. They were married from 1944 to 1948. Rooney Jr. was born to the couple on July 3, 1945.
Actor Mickey Rooney Jr: Actor and Musician
Rooney Jr. got his start when he and his brother Tim Rooney were cast as backup Mouseketeers on the first season The Mickey Mouse Club. However, both were fired for on-set mischief before the season concluded. Paul Peterson, another Mousketeer who was sacked along with the Rooney brothers, recalled the firing in a Facebook post, saying, “Mickey Junior was tall and talented. He could sing, dance, and act…and get in trouble. We three were fired for Conduct Unbecoming a Mouse!”
Rooney Jr. later landed some movie roles, including the TV movie Beyond the Bermuda Triangle (1975) and Honeysuckle Rose (1980). He appeared in the latter film alongside fellow musician Willie Nelson, with whom he performed in bands. He also played in 1967’s Hot Rods to Hell and helped score the film’s soundtrack.
Mickey Rooney Jr.’s Struggles and Triumphs
Deadline reports Rooney Jr. eventually developed substance abuse. Peterson said in his post, “Mickey Junior was the personification of “damaged goods.” He gave all he could. I was born on the same day as Mickey’s father, and ‘The Mic’ gave me, unsolicited mind you, the most useful advice I ever got. It is one of my greatest sorrows that he didn’t do the same for his son.” He eventually became a born-again Christian and founded an evangelical ministry in Hemet, California. Brown, his companion of 18 years after his first two marriages, said he overcame his issues with drugs and alcohol. “He was a wonderful man,” she said. “The last 18 years with me and my family, he’s been an angel.”
Original Mouseketeer Mickey Rooney Jr.’s death comes in the same year that Tim Considine, another Mickey Mouse Club star, died at the age of 81. 2022 has been a year where many actors have lost their lives, including Rooney Jr., Considine, and James Caan.
A full list of actor Mickey Rooney Jr.’s survivors has not been released. However, The Nerd Stash sends condolences to all who were close to the former Mouseketeer.
