James B. Sikking

James Barrie Sikking (March 5, 1934 – July 13, 2024) was an American actor, best known for his roles as Lt. Howard Hunter on the 1980s television series Hill Street Blues and Dr. David Howser on Doogie Howser, M.D. His career spanned six decades.

Early life

James Barrie Sikking was born in Los Angeles on March 5, 1934, to Arthur and Sue (née Paxton) Sikking. Sikking was the youngest of five children. His mother co-founded Santa Monica, California's Unity-by-the-Sea Church. He attended El Segundo High School. Sikking graduated from University of California, Los Angeles in 1959. During his time at UCLA, he worked at the Central Stage, the production program at UCLA and Los Angeles County lifeguard to pay for college.

While in college during the Korean War, Sikking served in the U.S. Army. He stated he based his approach to his Hill Street Blues character on one of his drill sergeants from basic training at Fort Bragg.

Career

Films

Sikking's first film was in Roger Corman's Five Guns West (1955) as a Union Sergeant uncredited. He was in The Strangler (1964), The Carpetbaggers (1964), Von Ryan's Express (1965), In Like Flint (1967), Point Blank (1967), the Elvis Presley film Charro! (1969), and Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969).

In the 1970s, Sikking was in Escape from the Planet of the Apes in an uncredited role (1971), Brother on the Run (1973), Capricorn One (1978), and The Electric Horseman (1979). In the 1980s, he was in The Star Chamber (1983), Up the Creek (1984), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), and Soul Man (1986).

In the 1990s, Sikking was in the remake Narrow Margin (1990) of 1956's The Narrow Margin, Final Approach (1991), The Pelican Brief (1993), and Whisper of the Heart (1995). In the 2000s he was in Made of Honor (2008).

Television

In the 1960s, Sikking was in a number of television series such as Assignment: Underwater, Honey West, and Hogan's Heroes. From 1971–76, he played Jim Hobart, an alcoholic surgeon, on the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. In the 1970s, Sikking was in M*A*S*H, Rich Man, Poor Man Book II (1976) miniseries, and portrayed Geoffrey St. James on the NBC comedy series Turnabout.

Sikking appeared as Lieutenant (later demoted to Sergeant) Howard Hunter on the TV series Hill Street Blues from 1981 to 1987. Sikking's performance earned him his first Emmy nomination in 1984. In 1989, Hill Street Blues' creator, Steven Bochco, cast Sikking in the ABC television series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser, father of the title character. On the 1997 drama series Brooklyn South he portrayed Captain Stan Jonas, for which he won a People's Choice Award in 1998. Sikking was in quite a few made-for-TV movies such as Inside O.U.T. (1971), The Alpha Caper (1973), Calling Doctor Storm, M. D. (1977), Bay Cove (1987), Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss (1988), and Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992).

Personal life and death

Sikking married his second wife, cookbook author Florine Sikking (née Caplan), in 1962. They had two children and four grandchildren. He and Robert Wagner were friends. Sikking enjoyed fishing. In the 1990s, he traveled to the Florida Keys to fish in the Redbone series of fishing tournaments. Sikking lived in the 4500 block of Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Known affectionately as "Jim the Reader" at Los Angeles public schools, he read to public school third-grade classes for almost 20 years through the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Book Pals Program. Sikking did charity work for golf tournaments. He was at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a health center in Washington, Iowa.

Sikking died of complications from dementia at his home in Los Angeles, on July 13, 2024, at age 90.

Filmography

Film

Television

Sources

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External links

• at IMDb
• at the TCM Movie Database