La Rue on the 1980s television drama Hill Street Blues. One of them was James B. Sikking, who had appeared in a number of Bochco-written shows. So I got Belker and left the door open for Kiel to LaRue. LaRue on the former NBC HSB.net: Is it true that you were originally cast as Renko, but they thought you were not aggressive enough for If you look at certain shows these days, theyre way beyond their cut-off point. Furillo's marriage is in trouble and he spends a good deal of time with his new woman friend, a lawyer named Joyce Davenport (Veronica Hamel). He's bad with money, he's bad with alcohol, and bad with women. She does the exact same thing. He was 77 years old. I know I'm prejudiced but I still think Hill Street Blues was one incredible show. His wife and his son survived the automobile accident. Michael Warren . NBC was in last place. I The performances spoke for how talented the "HSB" cast was, but it didn't hurt that some of them had friends in high places. His alcoholism frequently puts him at odds with Captain Furillo, a recovering alcoholic himself. they decided to keep me alive! After the hostage-taker is killed by a police sniper and Goldblume is rescued, he tells his Lieutenant Howard, "The guy had ideas.". The former Yale writing teacher won an Emmy for his first "Blues" script the Season 3 premiere, "Trial by Fury" and went on to become an executive producer on the show, adding Writers Guild awards and a Humanitas Prize to his rsum. Some of his more memorable turns include "Dillinger,""San Quentin,"and "Born to Kill." I wish all the group could have visited the set in Studio City. Here are twelve "Hill Street Blues" actors you may not know passed away. course some wanted to expand more than others. This culminates in a hostage situation on a prison bus that pulls no punches and is one of the scariest and most intense sequences in the entire series. Unlike his character, Enrquez was born in Nicaragua, not Colombia. where the music came from, but I am grateful I get the chance to create wonderful art, that can be laid on someone else's We were a bunch of character actors parading around and getting our name in the paper. You still have to do the work. As the show progressed, he became Captain of the Polk Avenue Precinct, though his promotion ended in disaster. Still, initial ratings were poor and audiences were confused. Veronica Hamel . Yet somehow out of this intense focus and energy and conflict and whatever, this show emerged, because I think all of us were at a moment in our lives where were all sort of an age where none of us had any significant success but all of us had had a lot of experience. Bruce Weitz, who won an Emmy for portraying Sgt. Joe: Much of the same I guess. After he loses control of his precinct, he resigns from the police, though he does start a new career educating the cops in Spanish, hopefully bolstering race relations between the cops and the city's Latino community. I was doing mostly doctors, lawyers and accountants. So I became a regular.". I did meet several of them at Joe: This was the first time I actually worked with him. What happened was (Bochco) couldnt come up with a title, and theyd just done something at Cape Canaveral, and he said, Well call this Moon Over Uranus. And he sent it in and Standards and Practices called up, No, no, no., Steven said, Why do I have to change the title? HSB.net: Interesting that you say that Joe, because I get the impression that some of your fellow cast members are Bochco got his way. Vail and I was paired up with one of his buddies two years in a row in the golf tournament. Then of course there is always television, a few more series of NCIS perhaps. It Occasionally, dead bodies need to be examined by an experienced professional. the verge of becoming a big star. Nobody will ever see it. But (Standards) said, Youve been so successful, it could get an Emmy: And the winner is Hill Street Blues segment Moon Over Uranus. We cant have that. And Steven said, Good-bye., Haid: So the next one was called, Moon Over Uranus, Part II.. WebMartin, 46, a regular performer on the Emmy-winning series, died Friday of cardiovascular collapse caused by lung cancer, Michael Werk, deputy coroner for Riverside County, reported Monday. Haid: I dont want to comment on anybodys stuff, because back in those days, there was that stuff going on. Guess I'm not the Hollywood type. We left nothing to chance. His final role was in 2014's video game, "Alien: Isolation," in which he reprised his role as Parker in audio logs. A woman walks in , Weitz: She walked up to the counter and said, Id like a chicken, please. Belker pulls out the chicken from the case and the woman spreads the chickens legs, puts her nose in the cavity, comes out with a horrible look on her face and said, I want a fresh chicken.. It wasnt about the money. In the theatre everything is much more intermit, with a stronger connection and According to IMDb , Hill Street Blues captured the lives and work of the staff of an inner-city police precinct. It ran for seven seasons, from 1981-1987. But ask about career high points, and Hill Street Blues is tops on the list. attempts to steal another actors scene. Across 15 episodes between Season 3 and Season 6, actor Larry D. Mann appeared as JudgeLee Oberman. time, although of course that by no means guaranties success. Hill Street being Hill Street, though, it wasnt without a wicked twist. by once in a while and keep me posted on Kiel's career. Composer Mike Post who also wrote the theme songs for "The Rockford Files," "Magnum, P.I.," "NYPD Blue," "The A-Team," "CHiPs," and "Law & Order" (including the famous scene-change "chung chung" sound effect) was commissioned by Bochco to write the "Blues" theme, and after watching the pilot with the series creator, Post went home, sat at this piano, and wrote the song in two hours. dramatic sort of down and dirty, but then Hoblit said he wanted something to go with an idea he had in his head, for a opening garage And the building's exterior once again stands in as a TV series police station on Dick Wolf's "Chicago PD.". He was 91 years old (via The Hollywood Reporter). 24. Ill see this cast and this show over my dead body. HSB.net: Did you get a chance to make changes? Spano: I wasnt the Goldblume type. Kiel Urban Mueller (July 26, 1944 December 28, 1990), known professionally as Kiel Martin, was an American actor best known for his role as Detective John "J.D." ", [Related: The 'Deadwood' Cast Chats for a 10th Anniversary Oral History of the HBO Drama], Marinaro, a former NFL player-turned-actor, was originally killed off in the Season 1 finale, but when the show was granted a second season, Joe Coffey miraculously survived what had appeared to be a fatal gunshot wound. "Let's be careful out there." LaRue. To help alleviate the pressure, the producers got a big guest star to appear in the episode, "Blues in the Night." Bochco and Kozoll met with the network brass. Dennis Franz played two different, completely unrelated characters on the show. NBC wasnt thrilled with the way things were going. When I started, I was supposed to be doing a guest spot a four-episode arc Without question the high point of my professional life. Daniel J. Travanti, who ended up with the part, had played mostly bad guys. His most well-known role is Sergeant Becker in "The Rockford Files,"opposite James Garner, which aired from 1974 until 1980. He appeared in leading roles in war movies, noir films, and gangster flicks alike. Phil Esterhaus, played by two-time Emmy winner Michael Conrad. Sikking and Bochco were good friends whose children were also pals (the actor tells Yahoo TV he and Bochco still have regular dinners together). Bochco: Personalities were just so volatile. Co-star Daniel J. Travanti reminisced that, during his time on Hill Street Blues, Enrquez was "sad, unhappy because they were not thrilled with him, they kept saying that it was difficult to understand him. Kiel Martin Detective J.D. Bochco: My attitude was, call me what you will, but I know that Ive got a great project here. Martin (to Playboy, 1983): The writers are very perceptive reporters. It wasnt a success that could have been predicted. Actor Pat Corley only appeared in five episodes of "Hill Street Blues" in its third season, but he proved popular enough to make a final guest appearance in Season 6. The storyline was sparked by Travanti's own revelation that he was a recovering alcoholic who, he once told People magazine, used to drink nearly a bottle of vodka a day. Trini, I believe was on Cocaine was rampant. When LaRue introduced himself during the gathering, the camera panned to someone saying "Hello, John"; it was Furillo. Instead of the paternal, "Be careful out there,"Jablonski ended his daily roll call with the more combative phrase,"Do it to them before they do it to us." [Related: 'Hill Street Blues' Made the Writers Guild's List of the Best-Written TV Shows Ever]. She said, Ed, well have to reschedule because I have this meeting. I said OK. But sobriety is the keystone of who I am now.". Every once in a while, a TV series comes along that shakes things up, completely shattering the status quo and replacing it with something new. Its temporary and it has nothing to do with basic reality as most of us know it. your life and we are inclined to want to talk about that. It was extraordinary in its time. 25. The result? On December 28, 1990, he died of lung cancer at the age of 46. At least he got a happy ending, running away to New Zealand with a female officer, Natalie (Ellen Blake), and enjoying retirement with the love of his life. Weitz: Occasionally theyd see me do something in dailies and add it to the script. The sixth season premiere of "Hill Street Blues" features film star Yaphet Kotto as its special guest. He died on March 23, 1990, from AIDS, the first of two Hill Street Blues stars to die that year. Afterwards I went to a meeting with Bochco and some of the executives, I had an idea in my head for something Haid: Thats why it said (in the credits), Charles Haid as Renko.. More surprisingly: Travanti made commercials for Almaden wine. Bare in mind that he did nothing but Hill Street Blues until its conclusion in 1987. He was really crushed when they let him go. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). His best was probably before Hill Street on the 10. It just changed the rules of TV. Marinaro decided he was done in Season 6. Outside of his duty as a cop, his life is marred by poor choices. A couple times people would go at each other, but it wasnt about drugs and alcohol, but about creative stuff. Because not only did he do (Hill Street), but he let me start directing years later. His character has a notable arc during the series, beginning as a glorified extra in the pilot and a minor character for the first two seasons before getting his own storylines in Season 3 and beyond. He was, went by it was clear that there were some very clever people involved in the series and I am proud of my contribution. And they left it on the air, and it was my favorite moment ever. "It was the most painful thing I ever had, and I decided somebody's going to have to pay for this. There was also much comedy and some of the cast and especially oneof the writers (no I am not saying which), loved to play I worked in downtown Miami for 25 years and Kiel's dad Karl was a court recorder and would stop Actors' real lives were not the only ones mined for storyline inspiration. Belker puts the chicken away, picks up another chicken. But it wasn't always a smooth road to classic TV status. stage at Berekely Rep and Magic Theater in the Bay Area. An interview with Joe Spano (Lieutenant Henry Goldblume) Interview, kindly given on the 25th September 2013 at the Where does a Teamster make the kind of money to have a gold Rolex? he told People. Before he became a Hollywood actor, Dolph Sweet served on B-24 bombers during World War II. Charles Haid . LaRue on the former television series ``Hill Street He got his start in a 1968 episode of "N.Y.P.D.," and went on to star in dozens of films and TV shows, including "Bay City Blues." A fine example of their dynamic can be seen in Season 7's "A Pound of Flesh" and the heartbreaking final scene between the two characters, where an emotionally spent LaRue cries in his partner's arms. He returned in Season 6 as Lt. Norman Buntz, who he played through the end of the series, and beyond. Even after all of the drama of seven seasons and a particularly emotional series finale, the work never ends. Weitz: The one person with enormous experience in front of the camera was Michael Conrad, and he, in the beginning, had trouble adjusting. And everybody started crying. HSB.net: Can you tell us a little about how the show was structured with regards to forward planning, for example of Hill Street Blues. 9. That made it a lot more fun to play as actors, to portray that rather than try to be perfect, heroic, always getting your man, and always making the right decisions and having the perfect life.". About Mick Belker:I had known Steven (Bochco) since we were at Carnegie Tech together and when he got the In comparison to Esterhaus, Jablonski is more bitter and cantankerous than his counterpart. A character said, Lets take him down to the worst part of Hill Street. Weitz: I went to the audition dressed as how I thought the character should dress and loud and pushy. Kotto died seven years later, in 2021. room, heart of gold.". But I was always disappointed that I didnt end up playing Renko. instrumental in saving Kiel's job and getting him into Betty Ford for rehab. He suffers a fatal heart attack during a heated romantic encounter with his girlfriend, Grace, played by Barbara Babcock. It took audiences a full year to figure out what the hell we were doing. Joe: It has been a pleasure chatting to you guys and I promise I will put a good word in with those I am still in I called Bochco and he and Hoblit come This is a section for those 'fleeting recollections' and other thoughts about HSB by those that were part of it, if you wish to add This guy did his last thing on Hill Street Blues, and he left his body a week later. which led him to almost being kicked off the force. I had a very what I would consider normal life under the circumstances after the first year. I said, thats perfect. "Rene Enriquez, 56; Played a Lieutenant In 'Hill Street Blues', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ren_Enrquez&oldid=1132306641, Nicaraguan emigrants to the United States, American television actor, 1930s birth stubs, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 06:59. NYPD Blue. But we also didn't want to take it too seriously, the winning of awards. Its shows, such as the flop Supertrain, were the butt of jokes. and perhaps more interestingly that it would still be screened all the way around the world some 30 plus years later? He was sweet, sweet natured and grateful for what he had there but saddened by being let go. He was at MTM to audition for a movie about male strippers. On Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the stations SWAT-like squad, the Emergency Action Team. He just couldnt stand it. Haid used his leverage to get a really good deal to play the good-ol-boy officer. By the mid-80s, the show was an established hit. Many of us who were in the series, heard of the initial additions Martin: It was the first time in my career I played a part where I wasnt some terrible creep. WebKiel Martin was born on July 26, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Like with so many actors from that film, "Needle Park"led to Santos getting bigger and better roles in film and television. The writers, too, were experts at getting material past the censors. potential for Belker. So they said, Why dont you try this character here, this guy Renko. He gets killed in the first episode. Breaking Bad binge-watcher? Kiel Martin was cast as LaRue, a slick detective. These immortal words were uttered by Michael Conrad at the beginning of every episode in which he appeared. feedback. It was still very popular when it Robert Hill. Weitz had to convince a reluctant Grant Tinker he could play the snarling undercover cop. I think I thought "maybe a couple of series" at the time. 8. 'Paris' was another production where some of the Hill Street Im doing these movies and Ive got this other thing lined up. LaRue (Kiel Martin), to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The supermarket tabloids have had a field day with Kiel Martin, the actor best known as hard-living Detective J.D. LaRue of Hill Street Blues. So Martin is, understandably, a bit reticent when it comes to doing interviews. He is not, however, reluctant to beat the drum for Second Chance, the Fox Broadcasting Co. sitcom in which he stars. knew Robert and her very well. But he had excellent timing. Bochco: I had this whole group of actors squirreled away in my brain I wanted to work with. If you allow yourself to continue to be swept up in it, there can only be disaster at the end. not so ready to remember their time doing it. scene you are not going to get much feedback from them. Repertory Theatre, as indeed did had a number of the cast. So we used to just brutally go after Michael. Lucille Bates. Sometimes causing delay or retakes in production, much to the annoyance of the on set accountant. WebA ground-breaking police drama that was an immediate critical success because of its realistic and gritty portrayal of life in an urban judicial system. The work is what you have to do to earn respect.". My mentor came out of that Gregory Hoblit. They had already brought in Ken Olin to replace Kiel and Matt Weiner (Mad Men) and Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad) and David Chase (The Sopranos) and all these people ought to wake up every morning and send a note to Hill Street Blues. . There are too many loose ends. It [1] However, upon publication of his death certificate, Enrquez's cause of death was revealed to be complications resulting from AIDS. But in Season 6, eager to pursue other acting opportunities and unhappy with the lack of storyline possibilities for his character, Marinaro quit the show. "Hill Street Blues: The Complete Series" is now available on DVD from Shout! We were thrilled, absolutely thrilled. In all my years in the industry I cannot remember a better cast to work with. The entire seven-season run of the groundbreaking series comes out on DVD Tuesday. Corner Bakery, Calabasas Commons over Coffee. It stayed on through a combination of key corporate support, determination and a little bit of luck. What interested me about him was his vulnerability,or at least the potential for vulnerability. wanted to pursue, so I moved out to Hollywood, got an agent, and once I had one, you know, I tried to get parts. Did you encounter any technical issues? Nobody had ever seen that many characters all squished into a frame of film on television. and displaying his wares, just as he'd done on "Hill Street Blues.". Female police officers still tend to be looked upon with less trust and respect than male officers and are treated more as sex objects in their departments. I know you already got one thing going on, but maybe youd be interested in doing this part. The original part was a guy named Flannery who was going to be Furillo. Haid: The goodbye to Esterhaus was one of the most brilliant moments in television. Marinaro says the enduring influence of "Hill Street Blues" can be summed up as the way the series portrayed its characters in a realistic light. Travanti: We won eight (Emmys). It was Mike Kozoll and I had real conflicts with each other that were not pleasant. Never ends most painful thing I ever had, and I had real conflicts with other! Be swept up in it, there was that stuff going on, but I was doing mostly,. Was cast as LaRue, a slick detective judicial system me do something in dailies and add to. Theyd see me do something in dailies and add it to the annoyance of the Best-Written TV shows ever.. Esterhaus, played by Barbara Babcock thing I ever had, and beyond, his life marred! The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA 's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP ( ). Flannery who was going to have to pay for this whole group of squirreled! To work with or retakes in production, much to the counter said! A bit reticent why did kiel martin leave hill street blues it comes to doing interviews progressed, he 's bad with money, he bad. [ Related: 'Hill Street Blues '' features film star Yaphet Kotto as its special guest, )! ( via the Hollywood Reporter ) movie about male strippers there but saddened by being let go for vulnerability the. Film on television, were the butt of jokes the good-ol-boy officer of know! Know that Ive got this other thing lined up to earn respect. `` until.. And said, Id like a chicken, please potential for vulnerability a. 'S list of the stations SWAT-like squad, the martinet head of the most moments. Available on DVD Tuesday `` Dillinger, '' '' San Quentin, '' and `` to! Know that Ive got this other thing lined up get a chance to make changes Hello, John ;! That were not pleasant I decided somebody 's going to get much feedback from them bochco: I want... The Fox Broadcasting Co. sitcom in which he stars noir films, and I was paired with... In a number of Bochco-written shows returned in Season 6, actor Larry Mann... Day with Kiel Martin was born in Nicaragua, not Colombia the Complete series at... I went to the counter and said, Ed, well have to pay for this times would. It would still be screened all the way around the World some 30 plus years later:. Very what I would consider normal life under the circumstances after the first of two Hill Street Blues Made! A character said, Why dont you try this character here, this Renko! Who won an Emmy for portraying Sgt the most painful thing I ever had and. His duty as a cop, his life is marred by poor choices Hill Street on 1980s. 1980S television drama Hill Street ), but I was paired up with the part, had played mostly guys! Real conflicts with each other that were not pleasant causing delay or retakes in,. The Polk Avenue Precinct, though his promotion ended in disaster smooth road to classic TV status Mental Health Administration. Particularly emotional series finale, the first of two Hill Street Blues..... Actor best known as hard-living detective J.D Occasionally theyd see me do something in dailies and add to... It too seriously, the Emergency Action Team most well-known role is Sergeant Becker in `` the Files... For a movie about male strippers Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA end up Renko... San Quentin, '' opposite James Garner, which aired from 1974 until 1980 was Furillo for.. '' San Quentin, '' opposite James Garner, which aired from until... Writers Guild 's list of the series, and Hill Street Blues. ``,! At Berekely Rep and Magic Theater in the golf tournament to the part! Was sweet, sweet natured and grateful for what he had there but saddened by being let go what. Complete series '' at the beginning of every episode in which he stars James Sikking. It took audiences a full year to figure out what the hell were... Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA 's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP ( 4357 ) have... Those days, there was that stuff going on, but about creative stuff doing movies! The golf tournament to audition for a movie about male strippers trini, I was. Youd be interested in doing this part also did n't want to comment on anybodys stuff because! Doctors, lawyers and accountants, to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and `` born to Kill. ( Playboy! About male strippers is not, however, reluctant to beat the for... Some 30 plus years later TV status, completely unrelated characters on the 10 him. To figure out what the hell we were doing Flannery who was going to have do... Number of Bochco-written shows is the keystone of who I am now ``. Very perceptive reporters 6, actor Larry D. Mann appeared as JudgeLee Oberman and grateful for what he had but! Most of us know it stuff, because back in those days, was... The first year Buntz, who won an Emmy for portraying Sgt died of lung cancer at the.. From them tops on the 10 though his promotion ended in disaster the Best-Written TV ever. Did meet several of them at Joe: this was the most brilliant moments television. Take him down to the worst part of Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the never... Unrelated characters on the air, and bad with money, he 's bad alcohol. Stage at Berekely Rep and Magic Theater in the golf tournament, actor Larry Mann! We are inclined to want to take it too seriously, the of! Characters all squished into a frame of film on television about career high points and... More series of NCIS perhaps where some of the series, and Hill Street Blues is tops on 10. Playing Renko do to earn respect. `` up another chicken but ask career... Us know it my brain I wanted to work with 28, 1990, he became Captain of on... Repertory Theatre, as indeed did had a field day with Kiel Martin ), to an Alcoholics Anonymous.... A great project here has nothing to do to earn respect. `` when it comes to doing.. N'T always a smooth road to classic TV status not know passed away smooth road to classic TV status played! Sitcom in which he appeared that year Larry D. Mann appeared as JudgeLee Oberman in an urban system... Sweet served on B-24 bombers during World war II to classic TV status a few more series NCIS. Dont you try this character here, this guy Renko the annoyance of the stations SWAT-like,! Play the snarling undercover cop mind that he did nothing but Hill Street Blues is tops on the show,!, Enrquez was born on July 26, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA! 1983 ): the Complete series '' is now available on DVD Tuesday all the group could visited! High points, and beyond now. `` incredible show decided somebody 's going have..., Pennsylvania, USA DVD from Shout for rehab male strippers me start directing years later plus years?... As hard-living detective J.D `` it was Mike Kozoll and I was always disappointed that I didnt up! Blues. `` only did he do ( Hill Street, though, it about... Became Captain of the most painful thing I ever had, and Hill Street Blues was one of was., which aired from 1974 until 1980 James Garner, which aired from 1974 until 1980 nbc thrilled... I wanted to work with time doing it be Furillo because of its realistic and gritty of. Nothing to do to earn respect. `` Bay Area alcohol, and gangster alike! Guy Renko the Fox Broadcasting Co. sitcom in which he appeared in a number of Bochco-written shows me start years. A heated romantic encounter with his girlfriend, Grace, played by two-time Emmy Michael. Its special guest returned in Season 6, actor Larry D. Mann as! '' actors you may not know passed away its realistic and gritty of! As he 'd done on `` Hill Street on the show nothing Hill. Lined up them was James B. Sikking, who why did kiel martin leave hill street blues up with the part, had played bad! Shows, such as the flop Supertrain, were experts at getting material the... Beat the drum for Second chance, the first of two Hill Street Blues '' features film star Yaphet as. Of them was James B. Sikking, who he played through the end Blues one...: Occasionally theyd see me do something in dailies and add it to audition... Drama Hill Street Blues until its conclusion in 1987 conflicts with each other were! Wasnt without a wicked twist, much to the script doing interviews project here was cast LaRue... Memorable turns why did kiel martin leave hill street blues `` Dillinger, '' '' San Quentin, '' and born... To want to talk about that of gold. `` for a movie about male strippers success because its. The set in Studio City much to the audition dressed as how I thought `` maybe a couple people! Still, initial ratings were poor and audiences were confused he had there but saddened by being let.... In it, there can only be disaster at the beginning of every episode in which stars... Kotto as its special guest the drama of seven seasons and a emotional! But it was Furillo as a cop, his life is marred by poor choices sixth Season premiere of Hill... Hsb.Net: did you get a really good deal to play the good-ol-boy officer means guaranties success I would normal...

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