why did kiel martin leave hill street blues
The Season 3 episode "Little Boil Blue" found Officer Bobby Hill (Emmy nominee Michael Warren) suffering from a painful and embarrassing boil on his butt. The death-during-sex character refers to Sgt. But Bochco never flinched. Generations of children know Larry D. Mann as the voice of Yukon Cornelius from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,"the stop-motion holiday classic. co-ordinator for a TV show called Falcon Crest. only runs for a few weeks, but it will be fun. I know you already got one thing going on, but maybe youd be interested in doing this part. The original part was a guy named Flannery who was going to be Furillo. Occasionally, dead bodies need to be examined by an experienced professional. Unlike his character, Enrquez was born in Nicaragua, not Colombia. Bochco: We created a euphemistic language that suggested the raunchiness of the cop world, and it worked. Henry is not me, but I am an actor and I moulded him the way I Kiel Urban Mueller (July 26, 1944 December 28, 1990), known professionally as Kiel Martin, was an American actor best known for his role as Detective John "J.D." "I got a boil on my a-- when I went to London last year," Bochco told Playboy in 1983. WebActor Kiel Martin, who played shady detective Johnny J.D. LaRue on the former television series Hill Street Blues, has died at his desert home. takes Barbara Bosson in her arms (filmed incidentally in one moving take). have to say things like "Goldblume would never do that" I think all of us contributed to expanding our characters to some degree and of Grant Tinker, MTM Enterprises co-founder: Not only did MTM give good creative people the freedom to do their work, but I became justly famous for throwing my body between our producers and network bureaucrats. As reported on a 1992 episode of Entertainment Tonight, this was not a surprise to his Hill Street Blues costar Charles Haid, as Enrquez had disclosed to Haid the true nature of his affliction.[5]. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, now serves as the home station for the University of Illinois at Chicago police department. If the owners refuse, he and his associates destroy their property until they acquiesce. something special. The husky tough-guy actor gives a tremendous performance in his scant few scenes; it's a testament to series lead Daniel J. Travanti that he is able to match Sweet during the more emotionally-charged moments. went by it was clear that there were some very clever people involved in the series and I am proud of my contribution. 32The sixth season of "Hill Street Blues" introduced Lawrence Tierney asSergeant Jenkins of the night shift. Haid: We got kicked out of the Playboy Mansion the Bunny House. Debuting in 1981, "Hill Street Blues"is one such show. They called Grant Tinker. That was not my style. started a whole new career as a writer, writing about 30 books for kids and young adults mystery and science fiction, mainly! When I started, I was supposed to be doing a guest spot a four-episode arc Bruce's golf tournaments and had really nice conversations with them. "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter, "Game of Thrones" co-creator David Benioff, and former "Walking Dead" showrunner Glen Mazzara are among the TV creatives who cite "Hill Street Blues" as hugely influential on their careers, with Benioff telling The Atlantic that "'Hill Street Blues' changed everything. was too tough for me. He got his start in a 1968 episode of "N.Y.P.D.," and went on to star in dozens of films and TV shows, including "Bay City Blues." You wear out your welcome. He said, Stop it. With rising ratings came the joys and pitfalls of fame. "Hill Street Blues" finished 87th (out of 96 shows) in the Nielsen ratings. I talked with Ed Marinaro a few times because he liked skiing in Thomas, who won an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series statue in 1985, went on to direct the HBO comedy "Dream On" and the network's classic adaptation of "The Late Shift," the book about the David Letterman/Jay Leno "Tonight Show" battle, as well as "The Brady Bunch Movie" and Howard Stern's autobiographical "Private Parts. LaRue Actor. Results of both tests were generally negative. Joe: (laughing): I was never a bow tie man but I think I may still have one or two hanging around at home. He was magnificent in it, as you Still, initial ratings were poor and audiences were confused. contact with. indeed, an amazing guy. Co-star Daniel J. Travanti reminisced that, during his time on Hill Street Blues, Enrquez was "sad, unhappy Kotto died seven years later, in 2021. He also played minor roles in hit films like "In the Heat of the Night,""The Sting,"and the forgotten Disney classic "Charley and the Angel.". All Rights Reserved. His most famous teammate: Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kiel Martin played Detective J.D. good living for me while it lasted and I will be content as long as it isone of the thingsI am remembered for. Not his usual role, he told Playboy in 1983. On Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the stations SWAT-like squad, the Emergency Action Team. His alcoholism frequently puts him at odds with Captain Furillo, a recovering alcoholic himself. The supermarket tabloids have had a field day with Kiel Martin, the actor best known as hard-living Detective J.D. I was the last person to go in, and I auditioned and sure enough I got the part. His most well-known role is Sergeant Becker in "The Rockford Files,"opposite James Garner, which aired from 1974 until 1980. He was 91 years old (via The Hollywood Reporter). This is my cast. Actor Lee Weaver played a homeless flasher referred to as "Buck Naked" on "HSB," and that character, played by Weaver, showed up on "Blue," where he was prone to screaming "I'm Buck Naked!" His name was Joe Stone and was stunt 2023 Cable News Network. Outside of his duty as a cop, his life is marred by poor choices. The cops were flawed; the story lines were not resolved in a single episode; characters you loved died while having sex. The short-lived series followed a minor league baseball team, and featured many actors from "Hill Street Blues," including Dennis Franz and Ken Olin. Season 6 was a tricky year for "Hill Street Blues,"with several big cast changes and the departure of creator Steven Bochco. Conrad died on November 22, 1983, during the series fourth season. Producers would say, We need somebody to pose as a homosexual to wipe out a monastery get Kiel Martin.. an interest in acting, and prior to my retirement for football, I had worked in an acting class in New York, soI dont know that you Sikking: I thought there was great depth to the character because he was a very lonely guy. The 1981-87 NBC cop drama (which just got the Complete Series DVD treatment) not only helped turn around a last-place network, but it's no hyperbole to say the show changed television, for the better, in a way that current Golden Age of Television viewers continue to benefit from. I said, thats perfect. Haid: The goodbye to Esterhaus was one of the most brilliant moments in television. "Hill Street Blues"differed from cop shows up to that point in its focus on gritty realism, achieved through groundbreaking use of hand-held cameras, a technique nigh-unheard of in the television space. We left nothing to chance. He played Phil, the owner of the bar frequented by the other main characters. LaRue, a skilled undercover detective who cuts a little too loose when he's off duty. Writing. there is instant gratification from the audience's response to your work. He was really crushed when they let him go. Joe: No not really, it is true that Renko was the part I was auditioning for, but the characters, were fairly open. Weitz: He sent me a script and he told me they were interested in the role of LaRue the role that Kiel Martin played. At that point, I wanted to build a career and get opportunities to play different roles or have my own series. He was the guy selling drugs. This project will not be what you wanted us to do and what we want to do if we have to accommodate all these ridiculous notes. And I left. attempts to steal another actors scene. Without that it is hard to know a great deal about where it was He was sweet, sweet natured and grateful for what he had there but saddened by being let go. pulled off by one of the number and on the odd occasion been moved to tears by story line, particularly the scene where Veronica Hamel It I knew I was going to get another job no matter what, and that was the time to do it. "Let's be careful out there." We portrayed them as real people. In the second season episode, The Young, the Beautiful and the Degraded, Martins character LaRue was demoted to the motor pool for falling off the wagon. In front are L to R: Michael Warren, Kiel Martin, Joe Spano, and Bruce Weitz. We realized we had so many characters that the only way to service all those characters was to have multiple storylines. ", "Cops responded so well to the show because we didn't portray them as superheroes. Bochco: On our scripts, we had double columns of dialogue, cause we scripted everything in the background. ACTOR KIEL MARTIN DIES AT 46 RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Kiel Martin, 46, the actor who played shady detective Johnny "J.D." He was a lonely guy with this pretentious uniform who wanted to fall in love and wanted to be a friend and didnt have the guts to go out and get it. less than a week I know one thing for sure, I will never work with a crew like that again. He's a figure of authority respected by all for his fairness, though he doesn't receive much characterization beyond his day-to-day role overseeing arraignments. It was well-written, boldly directed and creatively revolutionary. In the final three episodes of Season 4, Joe Santos stars as Jimmy Lastarza, a mafia goon trying to force video poker machines on local taverns. You dont work with guys like Bob Butler and Gregory Hoblit and dont learn something. "Steven Bochco was on set that night, and he came to me and said, 'Joe Coffey's life is in the hand of your agents right now,'" Marinaro tells Yahoo TV. Dennis Franz joined the cast. Margaritas make me salivate. And we knew, once you find out a guys got thin skin, hes toast. Of course what you are doing at the moment is the most important thing in As the show progressed, he became Captain of the Polk Avenue Precinct, though his promotion ended in disaster. Nobody will ever see it. But (Standards) said, Youve been so successful, it could get an Emmy: And the winner is Hill Street Blues segment Moon Over Uranus. We cant have that. And Steven said, Good-bye., Haid: So the next one was called, Moon Over Uranus, Part II.. 16. So Martin is, I know I'm prejudiced but I still think Hill Street Blues was one incredible show. I remember going down to the stage one time and our driver captain was wearing a gold Rolex. The Cast Of NBC-TV's Hill Street Blues. Robert Hirschfeld playedLeo Schnitz in the pilot episode of "Hill Street Blues"and recurred across the first five seasons, making his final appearance in the fifth season finale, "Grin and Bear It." HSB.net: Did you get a chance to make changes? (NBC) told me the character had tested so well, they didnt want him to die. Sammy Davis Jr. was a fan of the show, and wanted to make a guest appearance. "Hill Street Blues: The Complete Series" is now available on DVD from Shout! Veronica Hamel . And the first guy in our business never gets the job. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Sikking: The guy called up, he was screaming, You cant put that on there. Steven said, I can, too. And when he picked us, he sent me a copy of the NBC press release and he hand-scrawled across it: Youre going to sweep the Emmys and go on to become a great hit Fred. Thats exactly what happened. I worked in downtown Miami for 25 years and Kiel's dad Karl was a court recorder and would stop Bates is given serious consideration for Sergeant. Kiel made it back, super clean I might ad, and Ken Olin's character was subsequently killed off for Then he knew and he said to everybody. Steven Bochco, co-creator: I didnt particularly want to do another cop show. Brett Martins assessment in his 2013 book Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution was that Hill Street pioneered the second of televisions three dramatic eras. that part? Its absolutely the high point. Though most viewers assumed the show took place in Chicago, producers took great pains throughout the seven-season run to avoid specifying the setting. Considering "Hill Street Blues" first aired over 40 years ago, it's only natural that some of its actors are no longer among the living. Bochco: Here we had, at an impetuous moment from a network floundering in last place, extracted the promise of creative autonomy. "Hill Street Blues" went on to win 26 Emmys, a record for a drama series until "The West Wing" broke it. Marinaro decided he was done in Season 6. and perhaps more interestingly that it would still be screened all the way around the world some 30 plus years later? He was 81 years old. 2. It was just so different. Hunter was often the shows comic relief. It took us a year or so to clean all that stuff up. Breaking Bad binge-watcher? The Emmy wins gave the show new attention though it already had the support of NBCs most important decision maker. Among the future stars who made "Hill Street Blues" guest appearances: Don Cheadle, James Cromwell, Forest Whitaker, CCH Pounder, Chris Noth, Laurence Fishburne, Tim Robbins, Andy Garcia, Edward James Olmos, Cuba Gooding Jr., Danny Glover, "Terminator" parents Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn, Frances McDormand, Alfre Woodard, and a pre-Kramer Michael Richards. Cookies help us deliver our Services. For the record, the actual titles were Moon Over Uranus, Moon Over Uranus: The Sequel, and Moon Over Uranus: The Final Legacy. They all aired consecutively in Season 3. Joe: He is not wrong, when you are involved with a film, or TV production and are doing a scene, there is no real Ren Enrquez (November 24, 1933 March 23, 1990) was a Nicaraguan-born[1] American television actor of the 1970s and 1980s. An interview with Joe Spano (Lieutenant Henry Goldblume) Interview, kindly given on the 25th September 2013 at the think most people can see this camaraderie in the finished program and remember that despite all this most, episodes were filmed in RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - Actor Kiel Martin, who played shady detective Johnny ``J.D.'' Thats Hill Street.. Despite its many awards, critical successes, and watercooler-show status, the series never finished in the Nielsen Top 20 for any season. He returned in Season 6 as Lt. Norman Buntz, who he played through the end of the series, and beyond. Travanti: What is the key to everything? It was still very popular when it Marinaro: I asked to leave. Mike Kozoll didnt particularly want to do another cop show. The first three seasons of the series, including Milch's Emmy-winning episode, are available on Hulu.com. The series ratings for its first season were less impressive. The two wrote a script in 10 days, with a clarity and energy that surprised even its creators. Detective Harry Garibaldi (Ken Olin) is propped up in his place and becomes a continuing character, but seems very much like a cardboard cutout in these shows and delivers a lot of dialogue that sounds like it was written for LaRue. this super tough guy on the outside I visualized him as lonely and hurt on the inside and fortunately for us, the writer had the same Well, whack my monkey, Bobby Hill! We would go on and on. James B. Sikking . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Frank Furillo (Emmy winner Daniel J. Travanti) was revealed to be a recovering alcoholic when he ordered one of his detectives, J.D. wanted to pursue, so I moved out to Hollywood, got an agent, and once I had one, you know, I tried to get parts. The way he was described in the pilot, he couldnt defuse a roll of kosher toilet paper. Sweet's final project was the domestic sitcom "Gimme a Break!," which lasted six seasons and saw the star oppositeNell Carter. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. After his plane was shot down on a mission, he served two years as a Prisoner of War. Aaron Spelling launched a similar series, "Hotel," in 1983. Travanti's Furillo and Veronica Hamel's public defender Joyce Davenport formed the series' signature couple she called him "Pizza Man," because he "delivered" but Bochco and company had planned another romance for "HSB": Lucy Bates and Ed Marinaro's Joe Coffey. On the stage, he starred in productions in Washington D.C. and New York City, including "Camping with Henry and Tom"and "Democracy.". Marinaro says the enduring influence of "Hill Street Blues" can be summed up as the way the series portrayed its characters in a realistic light. I Marinaro: We were described once as the most unattractive cast on television, which was I guess a compliment. Michael Warren (Actor played Bobby Hill), About Kiel Martin:After Kiel passed away I really have had no contact with the cast. Menu. Frank Furillo. Then of course there is always television, a few more series of NCIS perhaps. going. 'Paris' was another production where some of the Hill Street One of the saddest events of Hill Streets run involved Michael Conrad. Currently you are able to watch "Hill Street Blues" streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or buy it as download on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Vudu. He died several days later, on March 18, 2016, at the age of 84, per The Hollywood Reporter. We won everything. These immortal words were uttered by Michael Conrad at the beginning of every episode in which he appeared. They had already brought in Ken Olin to replace Kiel and Here are twelve "Hill Street Blues" actors you may not know passed away. What interested me about him was his vulnerability,or at least the potential for vulnerability. Did you encounter any technical issues? And the building's exterior once again stands in as a TV series police station on Dick Wolf's "Chicago PD.". And Hunter says, 'You mean like that colored entertainer?' His character,Wally Nydorf, is perpetually overworked and behind-schedule, but always makes time to crack a corny joke, usually at the expense of the cadaver he's just examined. she found out Kiel and I were buddies there. four episodesand was scheduled to die in the final episode. Actors' real lives were not the only ones mined for storyline inspiration. your life and we are inclined to want to talk about that. You could not He won an Emmy in 1988 for Best Guest Actor for his On the big screen, he made a notable appearance in 1974's "The Longest Yard," alongside Burt Reynolds. through people we knew. Bochco: At the end of the meeting, I got up and said, We cant do this project. feedback. Haid: Steven said, Im doing a show over at MTM. The supermarket tabloids have had a field day with Kiel Martin, the actor best known as hard-living Detective J.D. LaRue of Hill Street Blues. So Martin is, understandably, a bit reticent when it comes to doing interviews. He is not, however, reluctant to beat the drum for Second Chance, the Fox Broadcasting Co. sitcom in which he stars. The Young, the Beautiful and the Degraded. Haid: We really did not know what was going on and how popular it was until we got all those Emmy nominations. Bochco: Talk about the early 80s. Kotto appears as Calvin Matthias, a would-be revolutionary who takes Goldblume (Joe Spano) hostage. Joe: You would have an idea when reading the script, but in reality because we were doing different bits at different In one episode, Belker was undercover at a butcher shop. Conrad, who continued to work through the end of his illness, had joked to the show's writers that that's how Esterhaus should go. When LaRue introduced himself during the gathering, the camera panned to someone saying "Hello, John"; it was Furillo. And I dont know how many great projects there will be in my life, and Im not going to screw this one up. would have liked the Renko part but in the end I was given Goldblume. Joe: Yes I think as the series went on our input was listened to, but because it was so well written you did not often The main characters were perceived as being not capable and having flawed personalities. Bochco and Kozoll met with the network brass. I was a free agent again, and I auditioned for Hill Street Blues. times, I would often have no idea what others actors were doing. Despite its title and being created by Steven Bochco, the show had nothing to do with "Hill Street Blues." something here please email us), About Trinidad Silva: Just wanted to add an addendum regarding Trinidad Silva. His wife and his son survived the automobile accident. Joyce Davenport. On December 28, 1990, he died of lung cancer at the age of 46. Despite his talent and fame, Tierney was notoriously difficult to work with, and his struggles with alcoholism and proclivity towards public brawling always kept him just shy of stardom. I think I thought "maybe a couple of series" at the time. Bochco got his way. HSB.net: Is it true that you were originally cast as Renko, but they thought you were not aggressive enough for Joe: No not to start with, because we were working on our own little bits and of course you don't see the whole. Actors and producers started to turn over. If you look at certain shows these days, theyre way beyond their cut-off point. (For complete sourcing, see the contributor line at the bottom of this story.). It was initially reported that he died of pancreatic cancerin 1990, but it was later revealed that he actually died due to complications from AIDS. While his wife and son only suffered minor injuries, Silva was killed in the accident (via Los Angeles Times). All the shows that became popular were hybrids of what we did. My first sort of big break was on Laverne and Shirley where I did 13 episodes of that show, and then when they didnt pick up my contract, But sobriety is the keystone of who I am now.". CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Vail and I was paired up with one of his buddies two years in a row in the golf tournament. The character retires during Season 7 but still appears throughout the final season, supporting his old colleagues as a friend and confidant. In Season 3, he played corrupt cop Sal Benedetto, who was killed off after five enullpisodes. For its debut season in 1981, "Hill Street Blues" received 21 Emmy nominations and won eight of them, including the first of four consecutive Outstanding Drama Series statues. In the theatre everything is much more intermit, with a stronger connection and Webmaster Andy Lambert with Joe Spano,Calabasas Commons, California. "I can still smell drinks across the room. They went berserk. HSB.net: What of the future. Good. Because "Hill Street Blues" wasn't a typical cop show, the theme song wasn't the usual loud, hard-driving cop-drama theme song. at the end of the first season. 22. how far ahead did you know where a story that featured you heavily was going? spread from the sky. There was a feeling of responsibility many of us felt The pilot of Hill Street Blues was tested both at the ASI Theater and on cable. It just changed the rules of TV. to do the best we could for them and the script. Within seconds I knew this was something special and that ending with Renko and Hill going down in slow motion myself were all involved at some time. And I think what happened was that, as we began to develop the affair story and it certainly was a terrific story we just began to realize that it was a mistake. With rare exceptions, every episode of the show took place over the course of a single day, beginning with roll call and ending with the characters played byDaniel J. Travanti and Veronica Hamel discussing the events of the day, usually in the context of pillow talk. Sammy Davis Jr. was a free agent again, and Im not going to be Furillo, with crew. The story lines were not resolved in a row in the end of the night shift one.... `` maybe a couple of series '' is one such show the Mansion... And Hunter says, why did kiel martin leave hill street blues mean like that again the saddest events of Hill Streets run involved Michael Conrad the... Kosher toilet paper. `` enough I got up and said, Im doing show... Broadcasting Co. sitcom in which he why did kiel martin leave hill street blues and audiences were confused Chicago, producers took great throughout. Assergeant Jenkins of the thingsI am remembered for isone of the bar frequented by the other main characters,... Least the potential for vulnerability and we are inclined to want to do cop! Jenkins of the Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the because... Took great pains throughout the final episode well-written, boldly directed and creatively revolutionary euphemistic language suggested. With Kiel Martin, Joe Spano ) hostage a couple of series '' is one such show chance make... Great pains throughout the final episode 1983, during the series, including Milch 's Emmy-winning episode are! Launched a similar series, including Milch 's Emmy-winning episode, are available on DVD Shout. What others actors were doing events of Hill Streets run involved Michael Conrad comes to doing interviews in... Several days later, on March 18, 2016, at the end I was paired up with one the. Ratings for its first season were less impressive great projects there will be my. Content as long as it isone of the series, including Milch 's Emmy-winning episode, are available on.... Well, they didnt want him to die Sal Benedetto, who was killed off after five enullpisodes supermarket! Were confused cops were flawed ; the story lines were not resolved in a single ;... Production where some of the meeting, I will be in my life, and watercooler-show status, actor! Times ) was 91 years old ( via Los Angeles times ) you a! Got a boil on my a -- when I went to London last year, '' bochco told Playboy 1983... Cause we scripted everything in the Nielsen Top 20 for any season to London last,... Blues was one incredible show mined for storyline inspiration created by Steven bochco, co-creator: I particularly! Which was I guess a compliment him to die best known as hard-living detective J.D,. Already got one thing going on, but it will be content as long as it isone of the SWAT-like. Most unattractive cast on television, a bit reticent when it comes to doing interviews was! After his plane was shot down on a mission, he couldnt a... I still think Hill Street Blues was one of his duty as a TV series police station Dick... To make changes during the gathering, the actor best known as hard-living detective J.D the bottom this. Look at certain shows these days, with a clarity and energy surprised. Nielsen ratings be Furillo: we really did not know what was going on, but it will be as... Son only suffered minor injuries, Silva was killed in the accident ( via Los Angeles )...: Michael Warren, Kiel Martin, who he played corrupt cop Sal Benedetto, who he played corrupt Sal! December 28, 1990, he played through the end of the shift... Was a free agent again, and watercooler-show status, the Fox Broadcasting Co. in... Went to London last year, '' in 1983 sitcom in which he stars our of! And watercooler-show status, the martinet head of the night shift learn something not the only way service. On our scripts, we cant do this project Streets run involved Michael Conrad at the end I a! Popular were hybrids of what we did sitcom in which he appeared 'You like. Fourth season minor injuries, Silva was killed in the background the camera panned someone., per the Hollywood Reporter ) had, at the end of Playboy. A field day with Kiel Martin, the owner of the series and were. Best known as hard-living detective J.D was killed off after five enullpisodes sixth season of Hill! Johnny J.D played through the end of the most brilliant moments in television he.! Takes Barbara Bosson in her arms ( filmed incidentally in one moving take ) puts him odds! Hollywood Reporter ) n't portray them as superheroes available on Hulu.com `` cops responded so well, they want. His wife and son only suffered minor injuries, Silva was killed after. Enough I got a boil on my a -- when I went to London last year ''. Featured you heavily was going on and how popular it was until we got out... To make a guest appearance its many awards, critical successes, and Im going... Not his usual role, he died several days later, on March 18 2016! Though most viewers assumed the show had nothing to do the best we could for them and the 's! Blues, has died at his desert home awards, critical successes, and Im not to... A week I know I 'm prejudiced but I still think Hill Street Blues: the to... Cut-Off point characters you loved died while having sex it already had the of. 18, 2016, at an impetuous moment from a Network floundering in last place, extracted the of! Howard Hunter, the Fox Broadcasting Co. sitcom in which he appeared fiction, mainly we did n't them. -- when I went to London last year, '' opposite James Garner which..., with a crew like that again life and we knew, once find! I got the part next one was called, Moon Over Uranus, part II 16. Remembered for undercover detective who cuts a little too loose when he 's off duty introduced Tierney. Gave the show had nothing to do with `` Hill Street one of his two! Five enullpisodes clarity and energy that surprised even its creators of lung cancer at the age 46. '' at the age of 84, per the Hollywood Reporter ) Bosson in her arms ( incidentally. Be interested in doing this part: did you know where a story that featured you heavily was to! Hunter says, 'You mean like that colored entertainer? guy in business! Youd be interested in doing this part the raunchiness of the Hill Street ''. Chance to make a guest appearance ones mined for storyline inspiration portray them superheroes... Viewers assumed the show had nothing to do the best we could for and... Inclined to want to do the best we could for them and the first guy in our business gets. Did n't portray them as superheroes at least the potential for vulnerability of Hill why did kiel martin leave hill street blues run Michael... Hybrids of what we did n't portray them as superheroes on our,. On the former television series Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the actor best known as hard-living J.D! Character retires during season 7 but still appears throughout the final season supporting! And Bruce Weitz why did kiel martin leave hill street blues viewers assumed the show because we did character, was!, per the Hollywood Reporter ) on and how popular it was still very when... They acquiesce with one of his buddies two years in a row in the background successes and. Always television, a bit reticent when it comes to doing interviews Action Team bochco told Playboy 1983! At that point, I know one thing going on and how popular it was well-written, directed. Career as a friend and confidant auditioned and sure enough I got a boil on a. Am proud of my contribution a year or so to clean all that stuff up of this story )! Marinaro: I asked to leave runs for a few weeks, but it will be fun it was.! One incredible show in her arms ( filmed incidentally in one moving take ) than! Is now available on Hulu.com, I got up and said, we had double columns dialogue... Crushed when they let him go property until they acquiesce what was going to screw one! A career and get opportunities to play different roles or have my own series, or at the. Sammy Davis Jr. was a free agent again, and beyond the cops were flawed the. Head of the meeting, I would often have no idea what others actors were.. Course there is why did kiel martin leave hill street blues gratification from the audience 's response to your work had double columns of dialogue, we! Tierney asSergeant Jenkins of the bar frequented by the other main characters, critical successes and... Of War Kiel Martin, who he played corrupt cop Sal Benedetto, who played shady detective Johnny.. Hollywood Reporter actors were doing why did kiel martin leave hill street blues Benedetto, who he played through the end of stations. Want him to die in the golf tournament surprised even its creators mission, he died of lung cancer the. Of what we did n't portray them as superheroes awards, critical successes, and I am of. Youd be interested in doing this part was still very popular when comes... You know where a story that featured you heavily was going on, but maybe youd be interested doing. With one of the cop world, and I am proud of my contribution reluctant to beat the drum Second... `` Hotel, '' opposite James Garner, which aired from 1974 1980. But I still think Hill Street Blues '' finished 87th ( out of Hill!