George Maharis, TV Heartthrob of 'Route 66,' Is Dead at 94 [View all]

Source: NY Times

He appeared in Off Broadway roles before starring on CBS as one of two young men who find adventure crossing the country in a Corvette convertible.

By Anita Gates and Alex Traub
May 28, 2023
Updated 5:22 p.m. ET

George Maharis, the ruggedly handsome New York-born stage actor who went on to become a 1960s television heartthrob as a star of the series “Route 66,” died on Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was 94.

His longtime friend and caretaker, Marc Bahan, confirmed his death.

Mr. Maharis’s greatest fame arose from the role of Buz Murdock, one of two young men who traveled the country in a Corvette convertible, finding a new adventure and drama (and usually a new young woman) each week on CBS’s “Route 66.”

In a 2012 reappraisal of the show, the New York Times critic and reporter Neil Genzlinger praised the literary quality of the scripts and commented, “This half-century-old black-and-white television series tackled issues that seem very 21st century.”



George Maharis, left, as Buz Murdock and Martin Milner as Tod Stiles in 1960 with their Corvette from the television show “Route 66.” Mr. Maharis received an Emmy Award nomination in 1962 for his work on the show.Credit...CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/28/arts/television/george-maharis-dead.html

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I have his and Martin Milner's autograph. It is a different pose, but it is both of them sitting on the hood of the Corvette. I got Martin's in person at a fan convention.