57 Years Ago, Bewitched's Dick York Had An On-Set Medical Emergency That Ended His Run

Dick York's five-season run on "Bewitched" abruptly came to an end in 1969. That year, the actor, who played Darrin Stephens on the sitcom, shared a statement with The Sacramento Bee (via DoYouRemember?) stressing that he was walking away to focus on roles in plays and movies. Later, we learned that York had to leave the popular sitcom due to a medical emergency stemming from a back injury. In 1992, York told FilmFax magazine (via Biography) that he had sustained spinal muscle tears while shooting "They Came to Cordura," years before he joined the cast of "Bewitched." 

The injury had occurred because he had ended up lifting 180 pounds due to an error made on set. By York's own admission, he didn't directly treat the tear, which eventually progressed into a degenerative spinal injury, and instead continued to power through work by taking painkillers. By the time he began working on "Bewitched," he had developed a dependency on the medication. In the 2024 documentary "Bewitched: 60th Anniversary Special," director Daniel Henares explained that when York was using painkillers on the sitcom, he struggled to deliver his lines. 

Without the medication, he had trouble walking and performing the physical comedy aspects of his role. Initially, the writers and the crew worked around his condition, often restructuring scripts and shooting schedules so he would only appear at the beginning and end of episodes. Ultimately, the toll of York's injury became undeniably apparent in February 1969, when he lost consciousness due to the pain. The crew had to rush him to a hospital because he had an epileptic seizure while unconscious. Two months after that medical emergency, his time on "Bewitched" officially came to an end.

In an old interview featured in "Bewitched 60th: Anniversary Special," Dick York opened up about the incident that ultimately led to his exit from "Bewitched." "That was the worst day of my life because I thought I'd failed everybody," he explained. "It was the only thing I'd started that I didn't finish. I didn't finish that show so I felt guilty and I felt embarrassed and I felt that I let everybody down." 

In the following years, the "Inherit the Wind" star only made a handful of smaller appearances on television. In February 1989, York admitted to the Los Angeles Times that he had endured financial struggles due to lack of work. The bank had foreclosed on his home, and he had lost a large portion of his life's savings paying off the bank and his other creditors. At the time of the interview, York was broke and relied on a monthly $650 pension from the Screen Actors Guild to get by.  

As someone who smoked multiple packs of cigarettes in a day, York had also developed a lung disease called emphysema, which has treatment options but no cure. Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is one of the top 10 causes of death in the world. By February 1989, York was largely restricted to his bed and required an oxygen tank, which are both signs of later stages of COPD. Despite all his health woes, he still devoted his time to raising money for unhoused people through phone calls. York ultimately passed away at the age of 63 in 1992.