Daniel Truhitte now lives a peaceful life in North Carolina, far from the Hollywood spotlight that once made him famous. At 81, he’s best remembered for playing Rolfe Gruber, the young Nazi telegram boy in The Sound of Music, where he performed the unforgettable duet “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” with Liesl.
But behind the timeless charm of the beloved classic lies a sobering truth—Truhitte has faced serious health scares in recent years. As he shared in a candid interview, he survived two near-fatal heart attacks, one on Christmas Day in 2019 and another at a funeral in 2022. “They didn’t think I’d make it,” he told the Daily Mail. “But I’m here, and I’m fine now.”
A Quiet Life And A Lasting Legacy
Though his role in The Sound of Music was his only major film, the impact has lasted a lifetime. Daniel Truhitte now teaches voice from a gazebo-shaped music room, a nod to his iconic scene in the film. Despite not appearing in later reunions or documentaries, he embraces his legacy with pride.
He recently starred in two independent films and has released a documentary about his life, A Life of Music: The Daniel Truhitte Story, now streaming on Amazon Prime. “I wanted to make sure I got this done while I’m still on Earth,” he said. “Not just for the public, but for my children and grandchildren.”
Reflections On A Career Almost Missed
After filming The Sound of Music, Truhitte made a surprising decision—he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. “I was called Private Hollywood,” he recalled, noting he missed the film’s premiere entirely. While he admits he might have stayed in Hollywood to build on his fame, he has no regrets about the path he chose.
Daniel Truhitte now shares that he and Julie Andrews are the only surviving principals from the film. “Everyone else is gone,” he said solemnly. Yet, he remains active, grateful, and still able to sing. “If you’re going to do one film,” he smiled, “you couldn’t do better than The Sound of Music.”