In the American series “Starsky and Hutch”, a phenomenon of the 1970s, he played Hutch, the blonde. British-American actor David Soul died on Thursday at the age of 80, his wife Helen Snell announced on Friday.
David Soul was born in Chicago in the United States and obtained British citizenship in 2004 in order, he said, to spend the rest of his life in the United Kingdom with his British wife.
“David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday after a brave fight for life, surrounded by the love of his family,” Helen Snell said in a statement.
“His smile, his laugh and his passion for life will be remembered by the many people he touched,” added Helen Snell.
In the series “Starsky and Hutch”, which aired for 92 weeks in the USA between 1975 and May 1979, David Soul formed the duo alongside Paul Michael Glaser in the famous red Ford Gran Torino with a white stripe.
The series followed their adventures in the imaginary city of Bay City, where the two police officers were aided by Huggy the Good Tips, their loyal informant, played by Antonio Fargas.
In 2004, a feature film from the cult series “Starsky and Hutch” was made. Owen Wilson took on the role of David Soul 30 years earlier, Ben Stiller took on the role of Paul Michael Glaser.
David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser have remained close over the years, with the former describing the latter as his “best friend,” his “brother,” in a message posted on the social network X (formerly Twitter) in November.
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David Soul was born on August 28, 1943 and spent his childhood between South Dakota (north-central United States) and Berlin, where his father Richard Solberg, a professor of history and political science, had been appointed by American diplomacy as an advisor on religious affairs .
He also appeared in the series “Flipper the Dolphin,” “Star Trek,” “A Hundred Married Girls,” and “The Yellow Rose,” as well as the film “Magnum Force.”
At the height of his fame, he also began a music career and recorded five albums.
In the 1990s he also appeared on stage in London's West End.
David Soul was married five times and had six children.
He met his last wife, Helen Snell, when she was doing press work for a play he was starring in: “Deathtrap.” They got married in 2010.
“I finally got British citizenship in 2004 because I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life here with Helen,” he said in an interview reproduced on his official website.
“I tell people I’m both British and American. I can vote in both countries and I'm proud of it,” he also explained in this interview, in which he also mentioned his involvement in several local clubs in London.