James B. Sikking

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. == Career ==

Films 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), 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). Television In the 1960s, Sikking was in a number of television series such as Assignment: Underwater, 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. 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). == Personal life and death ==

Sikking married his second wife, cookbook author Florine Sikking ( Caplan), in 1962. == Filmography ==

Film Television ==References==