Comedian,  Actor. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he was a graduate of the New Orleans Academy and the University Of Chicago. He was a member of the “Second City Troupe” in Chicago and with the “Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences”. He performed with the “Compass Improvisational Theatre” and at the “American Shakespeare Festival”. After mastering his skills in an array of character parts, he advanced on Hollywood and landed more than 100 roles in television and movies. His film and TV credits include: “The President’s Analyst”(1967), “I Dream of Jeannie”, “Vanishing Point”(1971), “Bonanza”, “The War Between Men and Women”(1972), “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”(1972), “Baretta”, “Jackson County Jail”(1976), and “In God We Tru$t”(1980). Darden’s rebellious style eventually created a chasm with the Hollywood establishment, and in the late 1980’s, demands for his services began to wane.  After undergoing heart bypass surgery, he moved into semi-retirement, occasionally coming out to teach classes in improvisational theatre.  In 1992, he settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Darden finally succumbed to congestive heart failure there at age 65. (bio by: RCB)