Actor James B. Sikking was best known for his work on TV shows including “Hill Street Blues” and “Doogies Howser.” According to IMDB, the actor also acted in movies including “The Pelican Brief,” “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,” “Outland” and “Fever Pitch.” He worked on 159 different projects during his career.
Unfortunately, Sikking has passed away after a battle with dementia. He died on July 13, 2024 at 90 years old. His publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told PEOPLE that he died “peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by family.”
Sikking was born and raised in Los Angeles, so he didn’t have to go very far to pursue acting. He graduated from El Segundo High School before attending UCLA where he studied Theater Arts.
During college, he found a love for acting, but he also joined the Army. It was his drill instruction who inspired the way he played his character in “Hill Street Blues.”
Sikking once told The Seattle Times, “The drill instructor looked like he had steel for hair and his uniform had so much starch in it, you knew it would sit in the corner when he took it off in the barracks.” He added, “So when I started to play Howard, I picked out the way he should be dressed. It had to be a very military look. He had to have those jump boots. 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.”
Saddened by the passing of James B Sikking. Howard was my favourite character on the show. R.I.P pic.twitter.com/36w6ZyRIIq
— Hill Street Blues Fan Group (@HSBFans) July 15, 2024
Sikking was shocked by how much people seemed to like the show. He explained, “When the Emmy nominations were announced, I was dumbfounded. I thought I was about to be unemployed and we ended up being the most-awarded show that year.” He continued, “I’ve been an actor for 50 years and when I look back at the show, I think it was the best show I was ever on.”
Watch the video below to see a clip of Sikking in “Hill Street Blues.”
Sikking is survived by his wife, Florine, who he married in 1962. They had been married for 61 years. He is also survived by their two children and four grandchildren.
