Dennis Rush, the famous child actor who portrayed young Lon Chaney Jr. in the film "Man of a Thousand Faces" alongside James Cagney and played one of Opie's friends in "The Andy Griffith Show" with Ron Howard, has passed away at the age of 74. Rush had been diagnosed with leukemia last month and died while on his way to the hospital on Saturday.

Rush's death has caused deep sorrow in the Hollywood community. Actor and musician Keith Thibodeaux noted that Rush lived in the San Diego area and passed away while heading to the hospital. Thibodeaux, who played Johnny Paul Jason, another friend of Opie in "The Andy Griffith Show," is best known for his role as Little Ricky in "I Love Lucy."

Dennis Rush made his screen debut in 1957 as 4-year-old Creighton Chaney in "Man of a Thousand Faces." In this film, Cagney portrayed silent film star Lon Chaney. As Rush grew up, the role was passed on to Rickie Sorensen, Robert Lyden, and eventually Roger Smith. Roger Smith later continued his career under the stage name Lon Chaney Jr.

Rush appeared as Howie Prewitt in "The Andy Griffith Show" for three seasons from 1963 to 1965. In a statement made in 2022, he said, "I appeared in eight episodes over about 2.5 years. It was the best of the best." In the 1964 episode "Barney's Physical," an improvisation he did during a rehearsal about Don Knotts' character became one of the memorable moments for viewers.