Who did James B. Sikking play in Hill Street Blues? Actor passes away at 90

Hill Street Blues star James B. Sikking passed away at 90 years of age. The actor bid adieu at his Los Angeles home on Saturday (July 13) due to complications from dementia. The actor's publicist revealed that he died whilst surrounded by his friends and family. Some of the actor's other notable works include Doogie Howser, M.D, Scorpio, and Made of Honor.

James B. Sikking portrayed the role of Lieutenant Howard Hunter in the iconic police procedural television series Hill Street Blues, which ran from 1981 to 1987. Hunter was a chaotic yet comedic emergency action team commander and veteran shock trooper of the police department in Hill Street.

James B. Sikking's publicist Cynthia Snyder told Deadline that the late actor was in the company of his loved ones when he moved on. She told the publication in a statement:

"In a remarkable career, Sikking’s wonderfully exciting face gave us drama, comedy, tragedy and hilarious farse. His career spanned over six decades in television, film and on stage."

The publicist added:

"His talent, integrity and imagination intrigued and delighted audiences."

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James B. Sikking portrayed Lt. Howard Hunter on Hill Street Blues

James B. Sikking brought to life the chaotic character of Lt. Howard Hunter on Hill Street Blues. The iconic 80's TV show influenced and shaped a lot of cop shows that came after it. The critically acclaimed series depicted the daily lives of the police officers or the 'blues' at a police department on Hill Street, located in an unknown area with a resemblance to Chicago.

Lt. Howard Hunter was a main character on Hill Street Blues. He was the leader of the Hill Street police department's very own SWAT team, the Emergency Attack Team squad. The character had previously mentioned being in Vietnam so he did carry an impressive military background.

James B. Sikking's character walked around in a military hat, a pair of military boots, some shades, and a bulletproof vest while constantly having a pipe between his lips. Hunter pretty much loved to do things the old-fashioned way and was a conservative military fanboy.

The Lt. would usually ignore a few commands from above him and loved to take things into his own hands. This would mean a lot of trigger-happy offense and brute force in handling tasks even if such attacking was not required. However, despite his hard-line attitude, the Lt. was prone to disastrous mistakes, which often made him the butt of many a joke.

Despite being a hard worker who usually never missed a single training camp and an effective leader for his team, there were moments when Lt. Howard Hunter was a bit too clumsy leading to an unfavorable outcome. Often regarded as an eloquent speaker, he showcased a humane side to his otherwise hard-lined personality in a very few episodes of the show.

For his portrayal of Lt. Howard Hunter, James B. Sikkim received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series back in 1984. The show itself received 29 Primetime Emmy Awards in total, including the Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1982, 1983, and 1984.

Apart from Hill Street Blues, Sikkim also worked on a plethora of other prominent shows like Brooklyn South, Bonanza, The Rockford Files, General Hospital, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and more. In Doogie Howser, M.D. he played the father of the titular character portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris.

The actor also had plenty of big-screen experience as he featured in many prominent films like Von Ryan’s Express (1967) alongside Frank Sinatra, Charro! (1969) with Elvis Presley and Scorpio (1973). He also appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), and more recently the 2008 Patrick Dempsey-starrer Made of Honor.

James B. Sikking's last acting credit came with the 2012 film titled Just an American. The actor is survived by his wife Florine Caplan, children Andrew and Dr. Emily Sikking, and four grandchildren.