James B. Sikking

Howard Hunter's Tactical Order

James B. Sikking died at his home in Los Angeles in July 2024 at the age of 90. He left behind a filmography built on physical toughness and a clenched jaw that made him the most reliable supporting player on American television.

His portrayal of Lieutenant Howard Hunter in Hill Street Blues defined a kind of obsessive, technical masculinity that no one had explored until then. Hunter was not just a cop (he was a military tactics enthusiast stuck in the chaos of urban life).

And that rigidity was no accident of the script.

Sikking had a solid academic background at UCLA and understood that a character's weight lies in his posture. During the seven seasons of the series, he received an Emmy nomination in 1984 for his ability to humanize a man who seemed like a block of granite.

From Outer Space to Teen Medicine

Before his police badge roles, he took part in key projects of the New Hollywood era. In 1967, he appeared in Point Blank under the direction of John Boorman, and that experience shaped how he understood professional film shoots.

But the general public recognized him years later for his role in the most famous galactic franchise. In 1984, he played Captain Styles in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. His character was in command of the USS Excelsior, and his contempt for the old Enterprise is still remembered by fans of the saga.

Television came calling again in 1989.

He played David Howser in Doogie Howser, M.D. until 1993. There he played the father of the most famous teenage doctor on screen and provided the counterpoint of maturity needed so the show's premise wouldn't seem ridiculous.

Because Sikking knew that his face conveyed a blind confidence that producers looked for to balance young casts.

In 2012, he made his last credited appearance in the series The Closer, playing Judge Edward Crosby.

He died in 2024 from complications of dementia. The actor was cremated, and his ashes were given to his family in a private ceremony in California.