12/13/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2025
DARBY HINTON JOINS CAST OF “UNDER THE PAINTED SKY”
We are proud to announce Darby Hinton starring as John German in the upcoming film, Under the Painted Sky produced by Smoky Hill River Productions in association with New Albany Films. This is Darby’s third collaboration with members of the New Albany team and we’re so grateful for his support over the years.
Darby Hinton started his long-acting career at the tender age of 6 months old on 'Play House 90' followed by commercials and many of the classic TV shows back then. Like, 'Mr. Ed,' 'Wagon Train,' 'Route 66,' & 'The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'. Darby's film career didn't start until he was 4 years old when he was featured in the movie 'Hero's Island'. Working with the likes of Harry Dean Stanton, Rip Torn, Neville Brand and James Mason. Followed by Disney’s 'Son of Flubber.' Just before turning 6, Darby wandered into the wrong office Fox Studios and landed the plumb role of playing Fess Parker's son 'Israel Boone' on the still hugely popular 'The Daniel Boone Show' which ran for 6 seasons and had a Thursday night viewing audience of 30+ million by its 4th season.
After 'Boone' ended, Darby broadened his acting skills by playing a drug user on, 'The Bold Ones/The New Doctors,' a troubled youth on 'Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law' even a drug dealer on Jack Lord's, 'Hawaii Five-0.', with featured roles on, 'The Fall Guy,' 'Hunter' and 'Mike Hammer' to name a few. He even did the original 'Magnum PI' and then 40 years later did an episode of the remake.
Darby has taken great pleasure in honing his craft over the years with great acting coaches like, Milton Katsales, Howard Fine, Larry Moss, Corey Allen, and the wonderful Joan Darling, even studying and performing with, 'The Groundlings' in Los Angeles. At home and abroad Darby continued his film work in places like Russia, Romania, Bulgaria as well as martial arts films in the Philippines then back again to Malibu for the cult classic, 'Malibu Express.'
When he started his family however, he decided to look for more steady work closer to home. He became the Probation Officer on 'Days of Our Lives,' and eventually became 'The Salem Ra**st' during some of the shows highest ratings. With more kids came more responsibilities, and not having a real father growing up, (His father was killed in a plane crash when he was 1 year old), Darby wanted to be there for his kids, to help them and watch them grow.
But... he still loved acting. So, he started just pursuing commercials and theatre closer to home. That led him to a role based on Charles Doheny for Theatre 40 called, 'The Manor'. Performed in the actual Doheny estate where the murders and scandals in the 1920s all took place to sold out audiences in what has become the longest running play in Los Angeles, over 20 years now.
Having spent a lifetime studying, characters, people, and human nature, to be able to portray the vastly different characters he has over the decades, Darby felt it also important, and fascinating, to study with some of the master teachers in the world of spirituality and human nature. Teachers like Wayne Dyer, Julia Cameron, Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield to name a few and even ended up traveling with Tony Robbins for a number of years as a 'Master Trainer' helping Tony get thousands to walk barefoot across hot burning coals.
As soon as the youngest of his 5 children left home to be a ski instructor in New Zealand, Darby started focusing on his acting career again and has since got to portray some memorable historical characters; Like David Burnet, 1st president of Texas in, 'Texas Rising.' George Donner in, 'The Donner Party - Dead of Winter,' and outlaw Cole Younger in, 'Bill Tilghman and The Outlaws.' And at the 2024 The Wild Bunch Film Festival he won 'The Best Actor Award' for his work in, 'Was Once A Hero', - Now streaming
Along with these and other acting roles Darby is also proud to be an advocate for child performers everywhere, having been on the 'SAG-AFTRA Young Performer's Committee,' a long-time member of, 'A Minor Consideration'. and since it's very conception in 2003, being on the advisory committee for 'Looking Ahead'. A non-profit that helps young performers and their families thrive and avoid pitfalls due to the unique challenges of working in the entertainment industry, and helped come up with its motto: Grow, Give Back, and Have Fun!!
As much as he loves acting, Darby feels his work with these organizations might be some of his most important work, having lost way too many fellow young performers and friends along the way to some of those pitfalls
Darby has also written a successful book documenting, with over 500 pictures, his early years in the business, his love of acting, and mostly what it was like: 'Growing Up Israel.' (The name of his book).
For more information you can visit his website: DarbyHinton.com
