Actor David Soul, who played Hutch in the 1970s American series Starsky and Hutch, died on Thursday at the age of 80, his wife Helen Snell announced on Friday.
David Soul was born in Chicago, USA and obtained British citizenship in 2004 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.
In the series Starsky and Hutch, which aired for 92 weeks in the United States between 1975 and May 1979, David Soul formed the duo alongside Paul Michael Glaser in the famous red Ford Gran Torino with white stripes.
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Paul Michael Glaser (left) and David Soul, performers of Starsky and Hutch, in Los Angeles in 2004, during the premiere of the film “Starsky and Hutch”, with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.
Photo: Getty Images / Kevin Winter
The series followed their adventures in the imaginary city of Bay City, where the two police officers were aided by Huggy Bear, aka Huggy the Good Tips, their loyal informant, played by Antonio Fargas.
In 2004, a feature film from the cult series was made. Owen Wilson took on the role of David Soul and Ben Stiller took on the role of Paul Michael Glaser 30 years earlier. 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 in November.
Star Trek, Flipper the Dolphin and Magnum Force
David Soul was born on August 28, 1943 and spent his childhood between South Dakota and Berlin, where his father, Richard Solberg, a professor of history and political science, had been appointed adviser on religious affairs by American diplomacy.
The actor also appeared in the series Flipper the Dolphin, Star Trek, One 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.
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David Soul in 2014
Photo: Getty Images / Tristan Fewings
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. The couple married in 2010.
“I finally received 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 that 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 spoke of his commitment to several local clubs in London.