David Soul, the blonde protagonist of the series 'Starsky and Hutch', dies

Goodbye to blonde detective Ken Hutchinson. The actor David Soul, who was the protagonist of the popular television series in the seventies Starsky and Hutch, died on Wednesday, January 4. This was confirmed by his wife in a statement issued on Thursday: “David Soul, beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother, passed away yesterday after a brave battle for life in the company of his family.” He was 80 years old.

Between 1975 and 1979 and throughout almost a hundred episodes, Soul, born in Chicago, played Detective Hutch, always alongside his partner Dave Starsky, played by actor Paul Michael Glaser, both in search of criminals. in his red Ford Gran Torino, which became another protagonist of each chapter. The role of Hutch was by far the most important of his career, the one that launched him into global fame at a time of intense development for television series that helped his face become enormously popular in dozens of countries. In Spain the police couple was so popular that they were nominated for the TP de Oro awards.

The role of Hutch accompanied Soul throughout his life. So much so that in 2004, when a revision of the series made into a film was released, with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson taking the roles of the protagonist couple, both he and Glaser had a small intervention in it that delighted fans.

Soul began his career in the mid-sixties with roles in various television series such as flipper and Star Trekwhere he made small appearances, but success came thanks to Here comes the bride (Here Comes the Bride), a series set in the American Civil War in which he starred between 1968 and 1970, and whose fifty episodes placed him in the audiovisual panorama of his country. But it was thanks to the 92 episodes of Starsky and Hutch, between 1975 and 1979, achieving global fame. After the series ended she played minor roles in more series (such as The yellow rose, in the mid-eighties; either It has written a crimewith a couple of appearances in the nineties) and some films (Johnny took up his rifle, in 1971; , but the role of Hutch would accompany him for the rest of his life. His last appearances were more than 10 years ago.

“He shared many of his extraordinary gifts with the world as an actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” his family's statement read. “His smile, his laugh and his passion for life will be remembered by the many lives he touched.” The family has not specified the reason for the actor's death.

[Noticia de última hora. Habrá ampliación en breve].

You can follow EL PAÍS Television on x or sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.