George Maharis, the actor who played Buz Murdock in the hit 1960s TV series “Route 66,” has died at the age of 94. Maharis became an icon for American youth as he cruised the country in a Corvette convertible alongside co-star Martin Milner. “Route 66” was a rare series at the time that was filmed on location, moving to new towns and cities for each new episode. The storied highway itself was as much a star of the show as Maharis and Milner. Maharis left the show after the third season and never again achieved the same fame.
In light of the recent report by Press Herald, George Maharis, the stage-trained actor who captured the hearts of American youth in the 1960s as he traveled across the country in a Corvette convertible in the hit TV series “Route 66,” has passed away at the age of 94. Maharis’ friend and caretaker, Marc Bahan, announced his death on Facebook, stating that the actor died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, after contracting hepatitis.
Maharis played the character of Buz Murdock, a hardened survivor of New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen, in “Route 66.” His co-star, Martin Milner, played Tod Stiles, a young man raised in wealth who was left with nothing but a shiny new Corvette after his father’s death. The two decide to travel the highway known as “The Mother Road,” and each week brought a new adventure in a new city, captivating audiences across the country.
“Route 66” was a groundbreaking series at the time, as it was filmed on location, moving to new towns and cities for each new episode. It featured a slew of future superstars as guest stars, including Robert Redford, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Alan Alda, in some of their earliest roles. The storied highway itself was as much a star of the show as Maharis and Milner, as it was venerated as a driving force behind the country’s westward migration in the 20th century.
The series was said to have been inspired by Jack Kerouac’s novel “On the Road,” and it spawned its own hit song, an instrumental composed by Nelson Riddle. Maharis left the show after the third season, and it continued for one more without him. He never achieved the same level of fame again.
In 2019, Maharis received a name check that introduced him to subsequent generations in director Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” In the film, fictional actor Rick Dalton, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, says Maharis was considered for the Steve McQueen role in “The Great Escape” along with three Georges: “Peppard, Maharis, and Chakiris.”
Maharis was a native New Yorker, one of seven children born to Greek immigrants. He was raised in Hell’s Kitchen, and his parents ran a successful restaurant. They wanted him to join the family business, but Maharis had other plans. He pursued acting and eventually became a star in his own right.
The passing of George Maharis marks the end of an era in American television history. He will be remembered fondly by fans of “Route 66” and as a trailblazer in the industry. Rest in peace, George Maharis.
