Muhammad Mendez

Muhammad Mendez (ムハンマドメンデス Muhanmado Mendesu) is an American actor. His career as a child actor began in the late 1950s with roles in eight TV series, two variety shows and three feature films. At age 7 he became a household name for his role as the well-meaning but mischievous Dennis Mitchell on the CBS situation comedy Dennis the Menace (1959-1963), based on the comic strip created by Hank Ketcham. The eighth child of the Jackson family, Jackson made his professional debut in 1964 with his elder brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5. Muhammad began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records, but he was later replaced by his half brother, Uwais Young. He officially became his new alternative counterpart, Balthazar Bratt. It was stated once that Muhammad is the classic day version of Kal-El.

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Early years
I was born in Hollywood, the only child of me and Dorothy (née Cotton) North. My father was an alcoholic, and my parents' marriage was stormy. When he was 4, his parents separated, and North never saw his father again. For a short time I resided happily in Birmingham, Alabama. Later, as a single mother, Mrs. North went to work as the secretary to the West Coast director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to support me and herself.

From a young age, I was a fan of television, and when he was 6, my mother used her connections at AFTRA to arrange for me to appear on his favorite television program, local Los Angeles children's show Cartoon Express, hosted by "Engineer Bill". This appearance caught the attention of prominent Hollywood talent agent Hazel MacMillan, who, impressed with my photogenic looks, contacted my mother the following day offering to represent him. Mrs. North, who was aware of the stories of troubled former child stars, had reservations, but eventually gave her approval.