James Sikking, star of ‘Hill Street Blues’ and ‘Doogie Howser, MD,’ dies after dementia diagnosis

James Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Avenue Blues” and because the titular character’s kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” has died at 90.

Sikking died of problems from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder mentioned in a press release Sunday night.

Born the youngest of 5 kids on March 5, 1934 in Los Angeles, his early appearing ventures included an uncredited half in Roger Corman’s “5 Weapons West” and a bit function in an episode of “Perry Mason.” He additionally secured visitor spots in a litany of widespread Nineteen Seventies tv collection, from the action-packed “Mission: Unimaginable,” “M.A.S.H.” “The F.B.I.,” “The Rockford Information,” “Hawaii 5-O” and “Charlie’s Angels” to “Eight is Sufficient” and “Little Home on the Prairie.”

“Hill Avenue Blues” would debut in 1981, a contemporary tackle the standard police procedural. Sikking performed Lt. Howard Hunter, a clean-cut Vietnam Battle veteran who headed the Emergency Motion Crew of the Metropolitan Police Division in a never-named metropolis.

The acclaimed present was a drama, however Sikking’s character’s uptight nature and quirks had been typically used to comedian impact. Sikking based mostly his efficiency on a drill teacher he’d had at fundamental coaching when army service reduce via his time on the College of California, Los Angeles, from which he graduated in 1959.

“The drill teacher appeared like he had metal for hair and his uniform had a lot starch in it, you knew it might sit within the nook when he took it off within the barracks,” he instructed The Fresno Bee in 2014, when he did a collection of interviews with numerous publications marking the field set’s launch.

When it debuted on the heels of a Hollywood twin strike, the NBC present was met with low rankings and little fanfare. However the struggling community saved it on the air: “Up popped this phrase ‘demographic,'” Sikking instructed the Star Tribune in 2014. “We had been reaching individuals with a sure schooling and (who) made a sure form of cash. They referred to as it the ‘Esquire viewers.'”

The present finally ran till 1987, though for a quick second it wasn’t clear Sikking would make it that far. A December 1983 episode ended together with his character considering dying by suicide. The cliffhanger drew comparisons to the “Who shot J.R.?” thriller from “Dallas” not lengthy earlier than – though it was rapidly resolved when TV dietary supplements by accident ran a teaser abstract that made it clear Hunter had been saved.

“I keep in mind when Howard tried to kill himself. My brother referred to as and requested, ‘You continue to obtained a job?’ I mentioned, ‘Yeah,’ and he mentioned, ‘Oh good,’ after which hung up,” Sikking instructed The Fresno Bee.

Sikking would earn an Emmy nomination for excellent supporting actor in a drama in 1984. The look and format of “Hill Avenue Blues” had been one thing new to Sikking – and plenty of within the viewers, from the dirty look of the set to the a number of storylines that usually saved actors working within the background, even after they did not have traces within the scene.

“It was loads of laborious work, however everyone cherished it and that exhibits. When you will have the people who find themselves concerned within the creation, manufacture – no matter you wish to name it – who’re actually into it and luxuriate in doing it, you are going to get a very good product,” he instructed Parade.com in 2014. “We at all times had three completely different tales working via (every episode), which suggests you needed to pay attention and also you had to concentrate as a result of every thing was necessary.”

Other than “Hill Avenue Blues,” Sikking performed Captain Kinds in 1984’s “Star Trek III: The Seek for Spock.” He wasn’t enthusiastic in regards to the function, however had been lured by the concept it might take only a day on set.

“It was not my cup of tea. I used to be not into that form of outer house enterprise. I had an smug perspective in these days. I needed to do actual theater. I needed to do severe exhibits, not one thing about someone’s creativeness of what outer house was going to be like,” Sikking defined to startrek.com in 2014. “So I had a foolish prejudice towards it, which is weird as a result of I’ve in all probability and fortunately signed extra this, that or the opposite factor of ‘Star Trek’ than I’ve something of all the opposite work I’ve carried out.”

After the tip of “Hill Avenue Blues,” he acted in practically 100 episodes of “Dougie Howser, M.D.,” reuniting with Steven Bochco, who co-created each “Hill Avenue Blues” and the Neil Patrick Harris-starring sitcom.

He married Florine Caplan, with whom he had two kids and 4 grandchildren.

Sikking had all however retired by the point the field set of “Hill Avenue Blues” got here out. He had fewer however memorable roles after the flip of the millennium, guest-starring on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and appearing within the rom-com movies “Fever Pitch” and “Manufactured from Honor.” His final roles had been as a visitor star on a 2012 episode of “The Nearer” and in a film that very same yr, “Simply an American.”

Sikking continued to do charity occasions. He was a longtime participant in movie star golf tournaments and even as soon as made it to the ribbon-cutting for a well being middle in an Iowa city of simply 7,200 individuals. “Truly, I got here to get one thing from you – air I am unable to see,” Sikking instructed the group of 100 individuals. “The place we’re from, if it is not brown, we do not know the right way to breathe it, The Related Press reported in 1982.

“I in all probability would do one thing if it obtained me going. Appearing is a license to do self-investigation. It is a terrific ego journey to be an actor,” he instructed startrek.com in 2014. “I have to say that, previously few years by which I have never labored, the obscurity has been fairly enticing.”

“The condiment of my life is nice fortune,” he completed.