The star of “Doogie Howser” and “Hill Street Blues” turned 90

As PEOPLE confirms, James B. Sikking has died at the age of 90.

According to his publicist Cynthia Synder, Hill Street Blues The actor died “peacefully at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.” The cause of death was dementia.

Known for his expressive face, Sikking’s career spanned six decades. He is best known for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter, head of the precinct’s Emergency Action Team, in Hill Street Blues from 1981 to 1987. The Emmy nominee also played a leading role as Dr. David Howser, the father of the genius boy Doogie (played by Neil Patrick Harris) in Doogie Howser, MD.

Both shows were created by Steve Bochco, who died in 2018.

James Barrie Sikking was born in Los Angeles in 1934. He attended El Segundo High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from UCLA, where he first discovered his interest in acting.

During his studies he was in the army – and his instructor during basic training eventually inspired him to his Hill Street Blues Character.

“The instructor looked like he had hair made of steel, and his uniform was so heavily starched that you knew it would end up in the corner when he took it off in the barracks,” he said. The Seattle Times in 2014. “When I started playing Howard, I picked out how he should be dressed. It had to be a very military look. He had to wear these combat boots.”

He added: “When people asked me where I got the idea for his look, I told them it was the same look I had in the army.”

Sikking appeared in stage productions at the Barn Theatre School in Michigan before joining Five cannons to the west and 1956 The Rebellion of Mamie Stover. He has made dozens of television appearances, including Perry Mason, The refugee, Gomer Pyle, USMC, A cage full of heroes, Impossible mission, Columbo, Our little farm And Hawaii Five-OFrom 1973 to 1976 he performed General Hospital as Dr. James Hobart.

In 1981 he joined the cast of Hill Street Bluesan ensemble show about a police station in a fictional city. “The great thing about Hill Street Blues was that no character was more important than another,” said Sikking The New York Times in 1988.

The series had poor ratings in its first season, but received a whopping 21 Emmy nominations (and won eight of those awards). NBC renewed it, making it, at the time, the worst-rated drama ever renewed for another season.

The series was not only popular with critics, but also had a major influence on the decades of police dramas that followed.

“It was a lot of hard work, but everyone was enthusiastic and you can tell,” said Sikking parade in 2014. “When you have people involved in the creation, production – whatever you want to call it – who are really into it and have fun doing it, then you get a good product.”

PEOPLE described Sikking’s character in 1987 as “a gangster’s worst enemy and a dog’s best friend.” He received an Emmy nomination for the role.

“I have made a lot of mistakes,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2006. “That was special.” There were no filler episodes; each hour was just as meaningful as the one before. “We shot 148 hours, and there’s no bagel dough in it,” he explained.

Sikking also appeared in the 1984 film Star Trek III: The Search for SpockHe was cast when producer Harve Bennett asked him to take on the role of Captain Styles.

“I wasn’t in that kind of space business,” he admitted to StarTrek.com in 2014. “I had an arrogant attitude at the time. I wanted to do real theater. I wanted to do serious shows, not something about somebody’s idea of ​​what space would look like.” He called this prejudice “silly” and said he wanted more from fans for his Star Trek role than for “all the other work I’ve done.”

When Hill Street Blues ended in 1987, after seven seasons he continued working. Most notably, he Doogie Howser, MD In 1989, he played the titular child prodigy alongside Neil Patrick Harris. The series ran until 1993. Other roles of the actor were The file, Height, Out of honor And The nearer.

Sikking married Florine in 1962 and the couple had three children together.

He was mostly retired by the late 2000s. “I have to say that the last few years I wasn’t working, the obscurity was quite attractive,” he admitted to StarTrek.com. “The wonderful thing about the obscurity is that it gives you a chance to be yourself and not a character. It also keeps you from being so insecure… I still do my charity events, but I’m happy to be with my family.”

Hill Street Blues was ultimately the part of his long acting career that he was most proud of. He told The Seattle Times“I’ve been an actor for 50 years and when I look back on the show, I think it was the best show I’ve ever been on.”

Sikking is survived by his wife of 61 years, Florine, his son Andrew, his daughter Dr. Emily Sikking (Mallory “Chip” Milam), and four grandchildren.