Actor David Soul rose to fame as the blonde half of the popular crime-fighting duo Starsky and Hutch in the 1970s. tv set series, died at the age of 80.
His wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement Friday: “David Soule, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother, is remembered in the loving company of his family for his valiant fight for his life. In the end, he passed away yesterday.”
“He shared many extraordinary talents with the world as an actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said in a statement. “His smile, laughter and zest for life will be remembered by the many people whose lives he touched.”
Saul played Detective Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson in Starsky & Hutch alongside Paul Michael Glazer, who played Detective David Starsky. From 1975 he aired on ABC until 1979, and its growing popularity led to the creation of many children’s toys.
At the height of his fame, Soul also appeared on the music charts with the single “Don’t Give Up on Us”.
Saul lived in England for many years and played roles in several stage productions. In 2001, she won a libel suit against a journalist who claimed that Saul’s play Dead Monkey was the worst production she had ever seen, even though she had never seen it.
Saul also played the titular talk show host in Jerry Springer – The Opera in London’s West End.
Saul and Glazer had a cameo in the 2004 big-screen remake of Starsky and Hutch, starring Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch.