James Sikking

• Name — James B. Sikking • Born — 5 March 1934 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Died — 13 July 2024 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Alma Mater — University of California, Los Angeles • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1954–2012 • Children — 3

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.

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).

Sikking married his second wife, cookbook author Florine Sikking (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.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — ref • 1961 — Assignment: Underwater — Dave Quinto — Episode: "Anchor Man" • Perry Mason — Bert Springer — Episode: "The Case of the Misguided Missile" — • 1963 — Combat! — American POW Lyles — 2 episodes Credited as Jim Sikking • Rawhide — Luke Harger — Episode: "Incident of the Travelin' Man" • 1963–64 — data-sort-value="Outer Limits, The" | The Outer Limits — * Orderly * Botany — 2 episodes • 1964–66 — data-sort-value="Fugitive, The" | The Fugitive — * Leonard Taft * Bert * Deputy Marsh — 3 episodes — • 1965–74 — The F.B.I. — Various — 11 episodes • 1965 — The Loner — Confederate captain — Episode: "An Echo of Bugles" • O.K. Crackerby! — Mr. Joe Malone — Episode: "The Griffin Story" Credited as Jim Sikking • The Long, Hot Summer — Doctor — Episode: "The Twisted Image, part 2" • The Virginian — Sanders — Episode: "Nobility of Kings" • Honey West — Valentine — Episode: "A Stitch in Crime" • My Favorite Martian — Aide — Episode: "Who's Got a Secret?" • 1965–66 — My Mother the Car — * Doctor * Sergeant Riddle — 2 episodes • 1966 — 12 O'Clock High — Captain Rand — Episode: "Six Feet Under" • 1966–67 — Run for Your Life — * Doctor * Nugent — 2 episodes • 1967 — Sail to Glory — George Steers — Made-for-TV movie directed by Gerald Schnitzer • data-sort-value="Invaders, The" | The Invaders — Capt. William Taft — Episode: "Valley of the Shadow" • Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. — Colonel Richardon — Episode: "The Show Must Go On" • 1967–68 — Bonanza — * Jack Rimbau * Kevin Maco — 2 episodes • 1968 — Adam-12 — Tex — Episode: "Log 72: El Presidente" • 1968–70 — Hogan's Heroes — * Private Berger * Gestapo Officer * Hercules — 3 episodes — • 1969 — The Survivors — Henson — Episode: "Chapter Ten" • 1969–70 — Here Come the Brides — * Capt. Hale * Jenkins — 2 episodes • 1970 — The Young Lawyers — Joe Daily — Episode: "The Two Dollar Thing" • Love, American Style — Leonard — Episode: "Love and the Intruder/Love and the Lost Dog" • 1970–71 — Night Gallery — * 1st Reporter * State Trooper — 2 episodes — • 1970–72 — Mission: Impossible — * Corrigan * Wilson — 2 episodes • 1970–73 — The Doris Day Show — * Horace Bowers * Fred Sutton * Detective Charles — 3 episodes • The Mod Squad — * Political Science Professor * Major Bernard * Dr. Webber — 3 episodes • Mannix — * Mark Langdon * Sketchley — 2 episodes • 1971 — The Bold Ones: The New Doctors — 1st Reporter — Episode: "A Matter of Priorities" • The Immortal — Administrator — Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" • The Name of the Game — Police Lieutenant — Episode: "Beware of the Watchdog" • Inside O.U.T. — Patrolman — Made-for-TV movie directed by Reza Badiyi • Cade's County — Harold Hopkins — Episode: "Safe Deposit" • Ironside — Voice Print Officer Jay" — Episode: "Dear Fran..." • Longstreet — Lt. Madison — Episode: "There Was a Crooked Man" • 1972 — Gidget Gets Married — Jim Johnson — Made-for-TV movie directed by E.W. Swackhamer • data-sort-value="Astronaut, The" | The Astronaut — Astronaut Higgins — Made-for-TV movie directed by Robert Michael Lewis • Man on a String — Pipe Smoker — Made-for-TV movie directed by Joseph Sargent • The Bob Newhart Show — Dick — Episode: "Goodnight Nancy" • Family Flight — Second Controller — Made-for-TV movie directed by Marvin J. Chomsky • Banyon — Andrews — Episode: "The Lady Killer" • 1972–73 — The Rookies — * Defense Attorney * Captain Gentry — Episodes: * "The Informant" * "Cauldron" • Room 222 — Albert Kramer — 2 episodes • 1973–76 — General Hospital — Dr. James "Jim" Hobart — Series regular — • 1973 — M*A*S*H — Finance Officer — Episode: "Tuttle" — • The Streets of San Francisco — Major Frank Kramer, U.S. Army Doctor — Episode: "Act of Duty" • Search — Callas — Episode: "Moment of Madness" • Coffee, Tea, or Me — Businessman — Made-for-TV movie directed by Norman Panama • The Alpha Caper — Henry Kellner — Made-for-TV movie directed by Robert Michael Lewis • data-sort-value="President's Plane Is Missing, The" | The President's Plane Is Missing — Dunbar's Aide — Made-for-TV movie directed by Daryl Duke • The Six Million Dollar Man: The Solid Gold Kidnapping — 2nd OSO Agent — Made-for-TV movie directed by Russ Mayberry • Outrage — Officer Geary — Made-for-TV movie directed by Richard T. Heffron • 1974 — Columbo — Policeman — Episode: "Publish or Perish"; uncredited • Versus Alvin Karpis — New Orleans SAC — Made-for-TV movie directed by Marvin J. Chomsky • Cannon — Clint — Episode: "The Sounds of Silence" • 1976 — Ellery Queen — Mike Hewitt — Episode: "The Adventure of Sinister Scenario" • data-sort-value="Feather & Father Gang, The" | The Feather & Father Gang — Bricklaw — Episode: "The Two Star Killer" • Rich Man, Poor Man Book II — Matthew Downey — Miniseries – 2 ep directed by * Karen Arthur * Ted Post • 1977 — Police Story — Harris — Episode: "The Malflores" • Little House on the Prairie — Mr. Franklin — Episode: "To Live with Fear" • Delvecchio — Ned Wagner — 3 episodes • Eight Is Enough — Mr. French — Episode: "Pieces of Eight" • The Feather & Father Gang — Bricklaw — Episode: "Never Con a Killer" Intended as the series pilot • Man From Atlantis — Colonel Manzone — Episode: "Killer Spores" • Calling Doctor Storm, M. D. — Bart Burton — Made-for-TV movie directed by James Burrows • Rafferty — Episode: "No Yesterday and No Tomorrow" Unaired as series was canceled • Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy — Commander Devril — Made-for-TV movie directed by Richard T. Heffron • Kill Me If You Can — Mr. Lea — Made-for-TV movie directed by Buzz Kulik • The Last Hurrah — Monsignor Killian — Made-for-TV movie directed by Vincent Sherman • 1977–78 — The Rockford Files — * John Hicklin * Jeff Seales — 2 episodes — • Hawaii Five-O — * George Cameron * Oscar Ross — 2 episodes • 1977–79 — Charlie's Angels — * Fritch * Lawrence Wellman — 2 episodes • 1978 — Starsky and Hutch — Ted Dermott — Episode: "The Action" • The Bionic Woman — Ray Burns — Episode: "Which One Is Jamie?" • The Incredible Hulk — Cliff McConnell — Episode: "The Waterfrony Story" • Operation Petticoat — Lt. O'Reilly — Episode: "Cram Course" • Lucan — Jerry Hultz — Episode: "Brother Wolf" • data-sort-value="Woman Called Moses, A" | A Woman Called Moses — McCracken — Miniseries – 2 episodes directed by Paul Wendkos • 1979 — Turnabout — Geoffrey St. James — Miniseries – 4 episodes directed by * Richard Crenna * Alex March * Tony Mordente — • The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo — Jack Willey — Episode: "The Senator Votes Absentee" • Paris — Lew Castle — Episode: "Burnout" • 1980 — Trouble in High Timber County — Roger Lomax — Made-for-TV movie directed by Vincent Sherman • 1981–87 — Hill Street Blues — Howard Hunter — Series regular; 144 episodes — • 1984 — The Jesse Owens Story — Avery Brundage — Made-for-TV movie directed by Richard Irving • Battle of the Network Stars XVII — Himself — Aired December 20, 1984 • 1985 — First Steps — Jim Davis — Made-for-TV movie biographical drama film directed by Sheldon Larry • 1986 — Dress Gray — Major Clifford Bassett — Miniseries – directed by Glenn Jordan • L.A. Law — Party Guest — Episode: "Pilot"; uncredited • 1987 — Police Story: The Freeway Killings — Mayor Cameron — Made-for-TV movie directed by William A. Graham • Who's the Boss? — Cornelius — Episode: "Mona" • Bay Cove — Nicholas Kline — Made-for-TV movie directed by Carl Schenkel • 1988 — Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss — Old Man — Made-for-TV movie directed by Dick Bartlett • CBS Summer Playhouse — Lindsey — Episode: "Mad Avenue" • Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Golden Land — Ira Sternholt — Made-for-TV movie directed by Gene Reynolds • Too Good to Be True — Russell Quinton — Made-for-TV movie directed by Christian I. Nyby II Remake of Leave Her to Heaven • 1989 — Brotherhood of the Rose — Felix — Miniseries directed by Marvin J. Chomsky • Hunter — Jack Small — Episode: "City Under Siege" Parts1–3 • Around the World in 80 Days — Jenks — 3 episodes • data-sort-value="Final Days, The" | The Final Days — Elliot Richardson — Made-for-TV movie directed by Richard Pearce • Desperado: Badlands Justice — Kirby Clark — Made-for-TV movie directed by E.W. Swackhamer • 1989–93 — Doogie Howser, M.D. — Dr. David Howser — Series regular • 1990 — Cop Rock — Howard Hunter — Episode: "Cop-a-Felliac"; uncredited • 1992 — Doing Time on Maple Drive — Phil Carter — Made-for-TV movie directed by Ken Olin — • 1994 — Seduced by Evil — Nick Lindsay — Made-for-TV movie directed by Tony Wharmby • 1995 — Jake Lassiter: Justice on the Bayou — Dr. Roger Salisbury — Made-for-TV movie directed by Peter Markle • In Pursuit of Honor — Douglas MacArthur — Made-for-TV movie directed by Ken Olin • Tyson — Bill Clayton — Made-for-TV movie directed by Uli Edel • Dare to Love — Ron Wells — Made-for-TV movie directed by Armand Mastroianni • 1996 — Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man — James Madison (voice) — Episode: "The Once and Future Duck" • The Ring — Sam Liebmam — Made-for-TV movie directed by Armand Mastroianni • 1997 — Aaahh!!! Real Monsters — Dr. Carson (voice) — Episode: "Nuclear and Present Danger" • 1997–98 — Brooklyn South — Captain Stan Jonas — Series regular; 20 episodes — • 1998 — Invasion America — General Gordon (voice) — 13 episodes • 1999 — Mutiny — Lt. Cmdr. Tynan — Made-for-TV movie directed by Kevin Hooks • 1999–2000 — Batman Beyond — Harry Caulder, Foreman (voice) — 2 episodes • 2000 — Nowhere to Land — George Eller — Made-for-TV movie directed by Armand Mastroianni • Rocket Power — Vice Principal Healy (voice) — 2 episodes • 2001 — Submerged — Cyrus Cole — Made-for-TV movie directed by James Keach • 2000–01 — The Guardian — * Bill Magnee * Bill McGee — 2 episodes • 2004 — Curb Your Enthusiasm — Jim Remington — 2 episodes • 2012 — data-sort-value="Closer, The" | The Closer — Edward Crosby — Episode: "Hostile Witness"

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).

• Year — Title — Role — Director — Notes — ref • 1955 — Five Guns West — Union Sergeant — Roger Corman — Western film Uncredited • 1964 — data-sort-value="Strangler, The" | The Strangler — Police Sketch Artist — Burt Topper — Psychological thriller film • data-sort-value="Carpetbaggers, The" | The Carpetbaggers — Reporter — Edward Dmytryk — Drama film Uncredited • 1965 — Von Ryan's Express — American Soldier — Mark Robson — World War II adventure film Uncredited — • 1967 — In Like Flint — Secret Service Member — Gordon Douglas — Spy fi comedy film Uncredited • Point Blank — Hired Gun — John Boorman — Crime film — • 1969 — Charro! — Gunner — Charles Marquis Warren — Western film • Daddy's Gone A-Hunting — Joe Menchell — Mark Robson — Thriller film • 1971 — Escape from the Planet of the Apes — Control Room Officer — Don Taylor — Science fiction film Uncredited • Chandler — Bogardy — Paul Magwood — Neo-noir film Scenes deleted • data-sort-value="Night God Screamed, The" | The Night God Screamed — Deacon Paul — Lee Madden — Psychological thriller/horror film • 1972 — data-sort-value="Magnificent Seven Ride!, The" | The Magnificent Seven Ride! — Andy Hayes — George McCowan — Western film Also known as The Magnificent Seven 4 • data-sort-value="New Centurions, The" | The New Centurions — Sgt. Anders — Richard Fleischer — Neo-noir action Crime film Based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Wambaugh • 1973 — Scorpio — Harris — Michael Winner — Spy film • Brother on the Run — Lt. Summers — Edward J. Lakso Herbert L. Strock — Action film Also known as Man on the Run, Soul Brothers Die Hard, & Black Force II • 1974 — data-sort-value="Terminal Man, The" | The Terminal Man — Ralph Friedman — Mike Hodges — Horror science fiction film Based novel of the same name by Michael Crichton • On Guard - Bunco! — Husband — James Tartan — Short film • 1978 — Capricorn One — Control Room Man — Peter Hyams — Thriller film • 1979 — data-sort-value="Electric Horseman, The" | The Electric Horseman — Dietrich — Sydney Pollack — Western film — • 1980 — Ordinary People — Ray — Robert Redford — Drama film Based on the 1976 novel by Judith Guest — • data-sort-value="Competition, The" | The Competition — Brudenell — Joel Oliansky — Drama/musical film • 1981 — Outland — Sergeant Montone — Peter Hyams — Science fiction/thriller film — • 1983 — data-sort-value="Star Chamber, The" | The Star Chamber — Harold Lewin — Peter Hyams — Crime thriller film — • 1984 — Up the Creek — Tozer — Robert Butler — Comedy film • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock — Captain Styles — Leonard Nimoy — Science fiction film — • 1985 — Morons from Outer Space — Raymond Laribee — Mike Hodges — Comedy/Science fiction film — • 1986 — Soul Man — Bill Watson — Steve Miner — Comedy film • 1990 — Narrow Margin — Nelson — Peter Hyams — Neo-noir action thriller film Remake of The Narrow Margin — • 1991 — Final Approach — Jason Halsey — Eric Steven Stahl — Thriller film — • 1993 — data-sort-value="Pelican Brief, The" | The Pelican Brief — Denton Voyles — Alan J. Pakula — Legal thriller film Based on the 1992 novel by John Grisham — • 1994 — Dead Badge — Wheeler, Aaron Feld — Douglas Barr — Action film • 1995 — Whisper of the Heart — Seiya Tsukishima (voice) — Yoshifumi Kondō — Animated coming-of-age romantic drama film English dub • 2005 — Fever Pitch — Doug Meeks — Peter and Bobby Farrelly — Romantic comedy-drama film Also known as The Perfect Catch — • 2008 — Made of Honor — Reverend Foote — Paul Weiland — Romantic comedy film — • 2009 — Wild About Harry — William Cauldicott — Gwen Wynne — Drama film Also known as American Primitive • 2012 — Just an American — Dr. Hanover — Fred Ashman — Drama film