James B. Sikking, the actor best known for roles on and , has died, . His publicist confirmed that he died at home in Los Angeles surrounded by family on Saturday after suffering complications of dementia.
He was 90 years old. “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.
His talent, integrity and imagination intrigued and delighted audiences,” publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. Sikking was born in Los Angeles and served in the military before graduating from UCLA with a degree in theater. He appeared as a guest in various television series throughout the 1960s, including , , , and .
On the big screen, he had roles in with Frank Sinatra, and with Elvis; later films include , , , and , among others. His prolific television career continued throughout the ’70s, most notably playing the role of Dr. James Hobart on .
The most fruitful collaboration of Sikking’s career came after working on an episode of NBC’s where writer Steven Bochco was serving as story editor, . He went on to appear in the Bochco-penned shows , , and before Bochco cast him as the Emergency Action Team leader Lt. Howard Hunter on the iconic series .
Bochco later recruited Sikking again to play Dr. David Howser, the father of Neil Patrick Harris’ titular prodigy on “Steven just has this fecund story mind,” Sikking said of the legendary writer-produ.
