James Sikking, the actor best known for playing Dr. David Howser on Doogie Howser, M.D., has died at age 90. Sikking’s publicist, Cynthia Synder, confirmed to Variety that the actor passed away on Saturday due to complications of dementia.
In addition to playing the dad of Doogie Howser (Neil Patrick Harris) on all four seasons of ABC’s medical drama, Sikking was well-known for his turn as Lt. Howard Hunter on NBC’s Hill Street Blues from 1981 until 1987. In 1984, he received an Emmy nomination for playing the morally upright lieutenant.
Sikking, the youngest of five children, was born in March 1934 in Los Angeles. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in theater arts in 1959, and three years later married cookbook author Florine Caplan. They remained married until Sikking’s death.
Throughout a career which spanned 69 years, Sikking appeared in episodes of shows such as Perry Mason, Starsky and Hutch, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He held supporting roles in the classic movies Ordinary People (1980), Star Trek: The Search for Spock (1984), and The Pelican Brief (1993). His final roles were in the films Fever Pitch (2005) and Maid of Honor (2008) before he made his final screen appearance on a 2012 episode of The Closer.
“In a remarkable career, Sikking’s wonderfully exciting face gave us drama, comedy, tragedy, and hilarious farce,” Snyder said in a statement honoring the late star. “His career spanned over six decades in television, film, and on stage.”
Sikking is survived by his wife, son, daughter, and four grandchildren.
