UPDATED 4/4/2022
Zebra Three, come in Zebra Three. Bay City’s got a case for you! We’re looking for a couple of actors, last seen fleeing the set of Starsky and Hutch. Alright, readers have got eyes on them, and we’re bringing them in for a cast rewind. Today, we’ll be undercover checking in on the cast of, the best onscreen duo of the 1970s. Although the Bay City PD was loosely based on the real LAPD, the actual inspiration for these closely bonded, guerrilla-style detectives were based on two Brooklyn boys who began using “decoy work” to fight crime. So, whenever undercover operations commence, they come from some grounded source material — with some changes.
But David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser certainly made these characters their own. With exciting drama and slapstick comedy all rolled into a one-hour show, the Starsky & Hutch cast took us on a ride each week, figuratively and literally in that sparkling striped tomato Gran Torino.
David Soul (Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson)
Calm, cool, collected, and a health food nut, Detective Ken Hutchinson rolled with the punches after moving from quaint, cold Minnesota to balmy California. There, he was forced to work with a fiery hothead. At least he had his old reliable car, the Ford Galaxie 500…oh, wait, it’s broken again.
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No one could play a fish-out-of-water better than David Soul, who changed life trajectories faster than flipping a light switch. He might have gone the history and politics route, but the sweet thrum of a guitar was irresistible and so began his music career. He was the masked musician, or, the Covered Man, on the Merv Griffith Show to make sure people just appreciated the music, nothing else.
He then made his acting debut with an episode of Flipper in 1967, before landing a series lead alongside teen heartthrob Bobby Sherman in the classic TV Western, Here Come the Brides.
In 1973, Soul portrayed a corrupt cop in the Clint Eastwood thriller Magnum Force, and TV execs saw the potential. Soul even directed three episodes of Starsky and Hutch: highlighted by season two’s “Survival.” He’d direct other hit shows, with the last being an episode of In the Heat of the Night, season four, in 1990.
Directly following his Hutch, he wonderfully brought Stephen King’s masterpiece, Salem’s Lot to life, for a two-part miniseries. He also returned to his first love and released number one hit singles, including “Silver Lady” and “Don’t Give Up on Us Baby.” He’d go on tour for years as well. Soul also uses his name for good, funding documentaries about water quality and Native American land rights, honoring his Lutheran minister dad with civic duties.
Today David’s 78 and the last time we saw him onscreen, was in 2013 in the James McAvoy-led film, Filth, where David steals the show with a car karaoke performance of his own song, “Silver Lady”. It’s fantastic.
Bernie Hamilton (Captain Harold C. Dobey)
A good detective force needs a strong leader at the top. Thankfully, Bay City had the no-nonsense and often angered Captain Dobey, a true professional, who knew how to pack a great lunch. But his true nature as a family man always found a way to shine through and extended to his two goofball detectives.
Being from California himself, Bernie became an unsung powerhouse by never falling into stereotypical roles for African Americans. His film debut was as Ernie in 1950’s The Jackie Robinson Story, which starred Jackie himself, then he broke new ground in One Potato, Two Potato. Filmed in black and white, the harrowing story about racial injustice had Bernie cast with a white wife and preceded the more famous Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
The part of Captain Dobey was originally going to be a white actor, but producers Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg remembered Bernie from a previous police role and, as a result, Bernie didn’t even need a screen test and secured the part. Bernie’s final acting role came from an episode of The Love Boatin 1985 right as he began to switch concentrations.
Bernie’s brother was prominent jazz drummer Chico Hamilton, and music appealed to Bernie, too. So, the actor-turned-musician founded the record label Chocolate Snowman and proceeded to produce and sing on the album Capt. Dobey Sings the Blues. He’d as well as Gospel albums for decades.
After a groundbreaking career, Bernie Hamilton died in 2008 at the age of 80 from Cardiac arrest.
Paul Michael Glaser (David Starsky)
You cross a line in Bay City, you’d be wise to avoid Detective David Starsky. Combine the training of a U.S. army vet with invaluable street smarts, a Brooklynite upbringing, and absolutely no fuse, and you have one lean, mean, crime-fighting machine. And definitely don’t mess with his Gran Torino or his partner — not necessarily in that order.
Paul Michael Glaser is an east-coaster himself, and followed his gut to get into acting from day one. His film debut created some news in 1971 as the student Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof. He then went from show to show as a guest star, including some real classics like Kojak, and The Waltons (take a trip back to Walton’s Mountain right here!).
Starsky and Hutch really let Glaser shine as both a star and a director. It ran for just four seasons, but he’ll be back. Okay, wrong movie, but not far off. Glaser’s second directed film was the 1987 Schwarzenegger action flick The Running Man. He was finally fulfilling his dream and continued directing, even writing the story for 1996’s Kazaam starring the Big Aristotle himself, Shaquille O’Neal. The last time he directed was in 2008 with five episodes of the show Las Vegas. After not acting for more than 15 years, in 2003, he went back to the big-screen, with an all-star cast including Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson in Something’s Gotta Give.
Everything ran smoothly for Glaser’s career, but his personal life contained a lot of tragedy. Glaser married activist Elizabeth Meyer and in 1981, during the birth of their first child, she needed a life-saving blood transfusion. Tragically, the blood was contaminated with HIV and they were unaware of this fatal error until four years later. Ariel Glaser died at seven years of age in 1988 and Elizabeth followed in 1994.
Glaser keeps up a strong front, picking up his wife’s work where she left off and served as the chairman for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation until 2002, although he still holds the honorary position.
He also cautions fans against letting their fantasies run wild about their idols, and hopes people understand he’s not actually Starsky. But he and Soul did suit up once again for cameos in the 2004 Starsky and Hutch film with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. His most recent acting appearance was in 2019 as Leo in Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. An all-around Renaissance man, he also hosted an art exhibit called The Third Act, a reference to this third big stage in his working life.
Antonio Fargas (Huggy Bear)
Hey, Huggy Bear. What tips have you got for us? This ought to be good… The fabulously dressed, morally dubious Huggy Bear was a lot of things, but reliable definitely tops the list. Huggy Bear always had the best clothes and the best lines of the whole show.
Antonio Fargas had early experience making sure he stood out, as one of 11 siblings in his New York City household. He broke into the movie scene with 1969’s Robert Downey Sr. written and directed film, Putney Swope. Then he portrayed Foxy Brown’s brother in that 1974 blaxploitation cult classic.
After that, he became Huggy Bear because Barry Shear, who was directing the pilot episode, had previously directed Fargas in the 1972 film, Across 110th Street. Huggy wasn’t supposed to be a recurring character, but Fargas brought the magic that made him a mainstay. He was a milestone in television history, giving audiences a crucial secondary character that was of Puerto Rican descent. Fargas almost got his own show as Huggy, ditching the bar in favor of becoming a private eye. But the premise they introduced, “Huggy Bear and the Turkey,” didn’t quite resonate with viewers and as a result it never got off the ground.
Fargas kept himself busy out of necessity since, as he puts it, “Your acting muscles atrophy when you don’t use them.” His next most memorable work came with 27 episodes of Everybody Hates Chris as the character Doc, about the early life of Chris Rock. The title was a play on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Fargas is determined to live life to its fullest because the 1994 earthquake in California left he and his wife both thinking the other had actually died. Neither could see or get to the other until after the disaster ended. Thankfully, that was not the case and he shares frequent updates on Instagram cataloging his latest project, in this case, Mister Mayfair, filmed in Portugal. Keep it up, Huggy!
Turkey buzzard, this is chicken little, come in. That was a pretty great ride in the Striped Tomato. Now, before we call it a day, we need a tip that even Huggy can’t provide. What was the best moment or episode from Starsky and Hutch? The shock from Hutch’s car exploding was definitely a highlight. What are your thoughts on the 2004 film remake? Let us know in the comments below.
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FAQs
Are Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul friends? ›
Paul Michael Glaser & David Soul are still friends over 40 years later. From 1975 to 1979, Starsky & Hutch drew in audiences with its action scenes, car chases, and two stars, Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul, who played David Michael Starsky and Richard "Hutch" Hutchinson, respectively.
Who were the two actors that played Starsky and Hutch? ›The series' protagonists were two Southern California police detectives: David Michael Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser), the dark-haired, Brooklyn transplant and U.S. Army veteran, with a street-wise manner and intense, sometimes childlike moodiness; and Kenneth Richard "Hutch" Hutchinson (David Soul), the divorced, blond ...
What happened in the last episode of Starsky and Hutch? › Is Starsky and Hutch based on a true story? ›Hit 1970's TV show Starsky and Hutch was inspired by two real-life New York cops. In the '60s and '70s Lou Telano and John Sepe went undercover – dressing as women, Hasidic Jews, hippies and even as a gay couple – to bag murderers, muggers, rapists and drug dealers.
How old was David Soul in Starsky and Hutch? › Are Starsky and Hutch still friends? ›David and Paul have remained steadfast friends since first appearing in the show 41 years ago, and the pair had planned a special event to celebrate the milestone.
What disease does David Soul have? ›He's had a cancer removed from his left lung and faces a continuous battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease —a life-shortening lung condition he blames on 50 years of smoking up to three packs a day.
How many Gran Torinos were wrecked in Starsky and Hutch? ›About ten 1975 to 1976 Ford Gran Torinos were totalled during production. Only two Torinos from the film were intact.
What kind of guns did Starsky and Hutch use? ›In the regular series, Starsky has a Smith & Wesson Model 59 9mm and Hutch a Colt Python . 357 Magnum revolver.
What police rank were Starsky and Hutch? ›But to understand what they mean to one another, let's look at who they are. Detective Sgt. David Michael Starsky is the curly-headed one. He's left-handed, drove his 1974 Candy Apple Red Ford Torino (license plate number 537-ONN), and often drove Hutch to distraction.
What kind of car did Hutch drive? ›
Starsky and Hutch, a pair of south Californian detectives, had one of the coolest cop cars of all: a Ford Gran Torino.
Where is the original Starsky and Hutch car? ›An original production car, this 1974 model year Ford Gran Torino used in the first season on Starsky & Hutch is on display at the Imperial Palace Auto Collection in Las Vegas. There were several Gran Torino's provided by Ford through the series run from 1974 to 1976.
Who played Nick Starsky? ›| Character | |
|---|---|
| Occupation: | |
| Relationships: | brother of David Starsky |
| Fandom: | Starsky & Hutch |
| Other: | Played by actor John Herzfeld IMDB |
Dan Finnerty caught America's attention as the foul-mouthed wedding singer in the box-office smash Old School, performing his now-infamous rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart," as well as his appearance as the sleazy bat-mitzvah singer in Starsky & Hutch and again as the inappropriate wedding singer in the record ...
Who was the stunt driver for Starsky and Hutch? ›Lee McLaughlin (4 May 1936 – 20 September 2007) was an American stunt man and film and television actor from Pennsylvania. He had small roles in the television shows Bonanza, Starsky & Hutch, CHiPs and Fantasy Island and the films Bound for Glory, Silver Streak, The Car and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
What is the best episode of Starsky and Hutch? ›- ...
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Everybody in their 40s and more, remember the famous TV Show “Starsky and Hutch” featuring Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky) and David Soul (Hutch) and the red 1976 Ford Gran Torino with the white stripe.
Who was Starsky and Hutch's informant? ›Although best remembered for his role as a loveable street informant named Huggy Bear on the 1970s cop show "Starsky & Hutch" (ABC 1975-79), Antonio Fargas had a long and prolific acting career that stretched all the way back to the early 1960s.
How many cars did Starsky and Hutch destroy? ›Unlike the references to 3D printing and using inferior cars in Skyfall, the makers of the 2004 Starsky and Hutch film really did destroy around ten Ford Gran Torinos. Clint Eastwood would weep. As our friends from across the pond write on IMDB, they were completely “totalled” and in fact only two survived the filming.
Where was Starsky and Hutch movie filmed? ›Starsky & Hutch | 2004. Todd Phillips' affectionate spoof of the 70s TV series was filmed, according to the credits, in 'Bay City' – which you'll have noticed looks a lot like Los Angeles.
How old is David Soul now? ›
Did David Soul hurt his back? ›Starsky And Hutch star David Soul has opened up about the crippling back pain he has suffered for the last three decades.
Why did David Soul get British citizenship? ›I'd got so tired of Los Angeles after being there for 28 years, and I loved being here. I finally got British citizenship in 2004 because I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life here with Helen. To get it, I had to go to council offices in Haringey and be sworn in with 25 other people from around the world.
Did David Soul appear in Lewis? ›Indeed David Soul did feature in this week's episode of Lewis, however he wasn't playing his most famous character but instead Professor Paul Yellad who had been invited to Oxford to discuss his new method for measuring criminal behaviour and after seeing several people with threatening glares watching him in the ...
What is the rarest Ford Torino? ›The Ford Torino Twister Special is an exceedingly rare car, just 90 were ever built and only 29 are now accounted for in the Torino Twister Registry.
What movie did they wreck the most cars? ›103 cars destroyed in the 1980 film, 104 cars destroyed in Blues Brothers 2000. Blues Brothers held the record for the most cars smashed until its own sequel deliberately destroyed just one more. For the 1980 film's main chase, 60 police cars were bought for $400 a piece, and outfitted with reinforced chassis.
What was Walt's illness in Gran Torino? ›A chronic smoker, Walt suffers from coughing fits, occasionally coughing up blood, but conceals this from his family.
What does PPK gun stand for? ›'PPK' stands for 'Polizepistole Kriminal', or 'Police Pistol; Detective Model'. The gun, produced by German firearms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH, was designed to be more concealable than the larger PP, and featured a two-piece wrap-around grip panel and seven-round capacity.
How fast was the Starsky and Hutch car? ›The stock engines were replaced with 360 cubic-inch Windsor V8s tuned to produce 435 horsepower. The alloy wheels are shod with modern BFGoodrich Radial T/As. These cars can do 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and have a quarter mile time of 14.1 seconds.
What does PPK pistol stand for? ›A compact and easily concealed weapon, this pistol was originally designed for detectives - PPK stands for Polizei Pistole Kriminal. It was later adopted by the Luftwaffe and German Staff Officers.
What does 2 star mean in police? ›
ASP ( ASSISTANT SUPIRENDENT OF POLICE) ONLY PROBATION WITH TWO STARS, RANK 2. 3. ACP( ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE ) OR DCP( DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE) WITH THREE STARS . 4.
What is the highest rank law enforcement? ›Chief of Police (COP)
What were police called in 1888? ›Initially in rural areas, Police were appointed by the local Justices of the Peace and became known as Bench Police or "benchers."
What was Brian's car? ›Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
Brian O'Conner drives an R34-generation Nissan Skyline GT-R at the beginning of 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious. He enters the car in a four-way street race, where he jumps the all-wheel-drive super coupe from a bridge before getting car-tasered by the cops.
Recently, one of the 1,305 examples of the factory-built Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” limited edition model was sold at an auction at RMSotheby's for $60,500.
Is the Ford Torino a muscle car? ›However, Ford produced some high-performance versions of the Torino by fitting them with large powerful engines, such as the 428 cu in (7.0 L) and 429 cu in (7.0 L) "Cobra-Jet" engines. These cars are classified as muscle cars.
Is Gran Torino a real car? ›The Gran Torino in the movie is 100 percent real. Eastwood's staff found the car online and Warner Brothers bought the car through a classic car dealer on eBay. It had a few choice options: Magnum 500 wheels and a laser stripe painted on the sides.
What engine did the Starsky and Hutch Gran Torino have in it? ›Producers looked at lease stock and chose two (one main, one backup) 351 Windsor V8-powered "Bright Red" (code 2B) 2-door Gran Torinos to portray Starsky's automobile.
How much is a 72 Gran Torino worth? ›| Bodystyles | Median Sale |
|---|---|
| Gran Torino Sport HardTop Coupe | $6,200 |
| Gran Torino V8 Series Sport HardTop | $9,500 |
David Soul
Did David Soul have any children? ›
David Soul
What happened to Paul Michael Glaser's wife and daughter? ›-- Elizabeth Glaser, 47, the wife of actor Paul Michael Glaser who became a tireless AIDS activist after she and her two children were infected with HIV through a blood transfusion, died at her home here Dec. 3. She died of AIDS complications.
What happened to tea and David? ›They divorced in 1995. Leoni married actor David Duchovny on May 13, 1997, after an eight-week courtship. They have two children, daughter Madelaine West Duchovny and son Kyd Miller Duchovny. In 2008, Leoni and Duchovny separated; Duchovny received treatment for sex addiction from August to October.
How long have David and Lily been together? ›September 7, 2022: Lily Allen and David Harbour celebrate their second wedding anniversary. Allen and Harbour are going strong two years after tying the knot in Vegas.
How did Lily meet David? ›In the early stages of their relationship, the two were private about specific details regarding when and how they started dating — which began on the Raya dating app and resulted in their first date at The Wolseley in London. Over time, however, the pair haven't been shy about showing their romance.
Who is the Subway guy in soul? ›Soul (2020) - John Ratzenberger as Guy on the Subway - IMDb.
Did Paul Michael Glaser ever marry again? ›Ariel died three years later, right after her seventh birthday. Elizabeth died December 3, 1994. Glaser later married Tracy Barone, who adopted Jake, who was 10 years old at the time. The couple had a daughter, Zoe.
What happened to Elizabeth Glasers kids? ›With their daughter's condition rapidly deteriorating, the Glasers fought to have her treated with AZT intravenously. However, the treatment came too late, and the child succumbed to the disease late in the summer of 1988.
Did Paul Michael Glaser ever play on the Waltons? ›"The Waltons" The Air Mail Man (TV Episode 1973) - Paul Michael Glaser as Todd Cooper - IMDb.
Is Huggy Bear still alive? ›...
| Antonio Fargas | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Known for | Huggy Bear – Starsky & Hutch |