James B Sikking dies at 90 surrounded by family after Hill Street Blues actor’s dementia battle

James B. Sikking has died

ACTOR James B. Sikking has died aged 90 following a battle with dementia.

Sikking, best known for his role on the series Hill Street Blues, died at his Los Angeles home.

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James B. Sikking has diedCredit: Getty
He died aged 90 following a battle with dementia

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He died aged 90 following a battle with dementiaCredit: Getty
The actor was best known for his role on the show Hill Street Blues

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The actor was best known for his role on the show Hill Street BluesCredit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via

The actor’s publicist, Cynthia Synder, said he died “peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by family,” according to PEOPLE.

Sikking was also known for his unique acting, including his expressive faces.

His career spanned six decades and he even became an Emmy nominee in 1984.

He landed the near Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series accolade for his role as Dr. David Howser on the sitcom Doogie Howser, M.D., which also starred Neil Patrick Harris.

The actor slowly started his career in the 60s and 70s, when he appeared on major shows like M*A*S*H, Mission: Impossible, and Charlie’s Angels.

Sikking’s other later iconic appearances were on shows like Little House on the Prairie and Brooklyn South.

The actor landed joined the cast of the show he would become most famous for in 1981.

He had previously explained how his life before acting had inspired his role on Hill Street Blues.

Sikking was born in Los Angeles in 1934 and later received a degree in Theatre Arts from UCLA.

He had briefly served in the Army, while in college, and said his drill instructor in basic training had inspired his character in the series.

“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 said to The Seattle Times a decade ago..

“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.”

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