ROUTE 86’D
Actor George Maharis has been flushed aged 94. He became one of the popular heartthrobs of his day as street-savvy drifter Buz Murdock in early 60s drama Route 66. His departure from the show midway through the third season was officially cited as due to hepatitis, though there is speculation it might have been due to Maharis getting increasingly rowdy on set, or homophobic producers taking umbrage to the gay Maharis. Route 66 replaced Maharis with Glenn Corbett, but the magic was no longer there and the show was cancelled a year later.
Troubles over his orientation came to a head (hehe) in 1974, when he was caught in a gas station bathroom shagging fantastically-named male hairdresser Perfecto Trelles. His career soldiered on, with post-66 roles including the lead in short-lived crime drama The Most Deadly Game, guest spots on Fantasy Island and Murder, She Wrote, and starring roles in numerous disposable films, but he never recaptured the heights of Buz Murdock and retired in the 90s. MST3K Massacre has some business to take care of…
George Maharis
1 September 1928 – 24 May 2023, aged 94
💀💀💀💀💀 + 👻 = 9 POINTS