James Sikking was an actor best known for playing Lt. Howard Hunter on “Hill Street Blues” and the father of show namesake “Doogie Howser, M.D.”
James Sikking’s Ebroa
Though he is best known for his six-season run on the acclaimed police drama “Hill Street Blues,” where he played Lt. Howard Hunter, James Sikking had a thriving acting career well before his most notable role. Born in Los Angeles, he began on stage and first appeared on screen in the 1955 film “Five Guns West,” playing a small, uncredited part. In the years that followed, Sikking appeared in a wide array of both movies (“The Magnificent Seven Ride,” “Capricorn One,” “Scorpio,” “Ordinary People,” and others) and television shows (“Perry Mason,” “The Fugitive,” “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Hawaii Five-O,” and many more).
In 1981, he was among the main-cast stars on “Hill Street Blues,” portraying the Hill Street Precinct’s emotionally volatile sergeant-then-lieutenant. The role would cement Sikking into television history as the show went on to become one of the most acclaimed of its time, winning eight Emmy Awards in its first season and 26 overall, garnering a whopping 98 nominations in total. Sikking was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy in 1984 for his work.
“Hill Street Blues” went off the air in 1987, but by 1989, Sikking was already a mainstay in American living rooms again, this time as Dr. David Howser, father of the titular character in “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” played by Neil Patrick Harris.
His other roles include a small but memorable turn in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,” plus episodes of “M.A.S.H.,” “The Pelican Brief,” “The Closer,” and many others.
Tributes to James Sikking
Full obituary: Time
