James Sikking, ‘Hill Street Blues' actor, dies at 90

Actor James Sikking, who had television roles on "Hill Street Blues" and "Doogie Howser, M.D." has died from complications from dementia, according to his publicist Monday. He was 90.

Sikking played a police lieutenant on the TV cop drama "Hill Street Blues" and the dad of the teenage doctor on "Doogie Howser, M.D." His publicist announced he died in a statement released Sunday.

Sikking earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a drama in 1984 for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter on "Hill Street Blues." He said he based his performance for the role on "Hill Street Blues" on a drill instructor he had in basic training for military service at UCLA. He graduated from UCLA in 1959.

He was born in Los Angeles on March 5, 1934, and was the youngest of five children. He appeared in Roger Corman's "Five Guns West" and had a bit role in an episode of "Perry Mason." He also had roles in several popular television series from the 1970s, "Mission: Impossible," "M.A.S.H." "The F.B.I.," "The Rockford Files," "Hawaii Five-O," "Charlie's Angels," "Eight is Enough" and "Little House on the Prairie."

"Hill Street Blues" made its debut in 1981.

He later appeared in episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and acting in the rom-com films "Fever Pitch" and "Made of Honor." His last roles were as a guest star on a 2012 episode of "The Closer" and in a movie that same year, "Just an American."

He was married to Florine Caplan and had two children and four grandchildren.

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