R.I.P. David Soul: ‘Starsky & Hutch’ Actor Dead At 80

Actor and singer David Soul, who was best known for his role as Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in the detective series Starsky & Hutch, has died. He was 80.

Soul died Thursday (Jan. 4), as confirmed by the BBC. His wife Hellen Snell shared the news of his passing, saying he died “after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family.”

She shared, “He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” adding, “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”

Soul rose to fame thanks to iconic detective series Starsky & Hutch, in which he and co-star Paul Michael Glaser starred as California-based police detectives known for their brotherly affection, the iconic red Gran Torino they drove around in, and their confidential informant named Huggy Bear. (The show was lovingly spoofed in the 2004 movie remake that starred Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch, in which Soul and Glaser both made cameos.) Starsky & Hutch ran from 1975 until 1979.

Soul also starred in the TV show Here Come The Brides, the TV miniseries Salem’s Lot, and co-starred with Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry film Magnum Force. Soul also had success as a singer, releasing four albums in the late 1970s. Two singles, “Silver Lady” and “Don’t Give Up On Us,” went to No. 1 in the U.K.

In the 1990s, Soul relocated from Hollywood to England, where he found success on the stage and screen on shows like Little Britain and Holby City. He is survived by his six children and his wife.