Taurean Blacque, star of Hill Street Blues, passes away at 82 years of age following a brief illness
The acting world is in mourning on Thursday, with news that Taurean Blacque has passed away.
The actor, best known for playing Detective Neal Washington in the hit NBC crime drama series Hill Street Blues, passed in Atlanta at 82.
Blacque had been battling briefly with an undisclosed illness at the time of his passing, with his family announcing the news to Deadline.
The actor was born Herbert Middleton Jr. on May 10, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey, honing his craft at the New Federal Theatre in New York City.
R.I.P.: The acting world is in mourning on Thursday, with news that Taurean Blacque has passed away
He started his career with several guest-starring roles, starting with What’s Happening in 1976.
He would go on to guest star in Snip, Sanford and Son, Wonderbug, The Krofft Supershow, The Tony Randall Show, Charlie’s Angels, The Bob Newhart Show and Good Times.
Blacque made his feature film debut in the 1978 film House Calls, which he followed up as a lawyer in the 1979 sequel Rocky II.
The actor would continue to work steadily with film roles in Beyond Death’s Door and The Hunter and TV roles in The Love Boat before landing the role of Detective Neal Washington in NBC’s Hill Street Blues.
Neal: The actor would continue to work steadily with film roles in Beyond Death’s Door and The Hunter and TV roles in The Love Boat before landing the role of Detective Neal Washington in NBC’s Hill Street Blues
He was one of a handful of the show’s stars to remain on the show for its entire seven-season run, earning an Emmy nomination in 1982 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
After Hill Street Blues went off the air, he starred in movies DeepStar Six and Oliver & Company before starring in the soap opera Generations.
He played Henry Marshall in just over 100 episodes of the series, though after he wrapped on that show, he worked more sparingly throughout the 1990s.
He guest-starred in True Colors, In the Heat of the Night and Dream On, and films such as Fled
Emmy nominee: He was one of a handful of the show’s stars to remain on the show for its entire seven-season run, earning an Emmy nomination in 1982 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Blacque moved on to play Detective Wheeler in the TV series Savannah, appearing throughout most of of the two-season run.
He worked even sparingly throughout the 2000s with Nowhere Road, Step Off and his final role in a 2018 episode of Kevin (Probably) Saves the World.
The longtime Atlanta resident also performed frequently at the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, and he’s survived by 12 children, 18 grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
Survived: The longtime Atlanta resident also performed frequently at the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, and he’s survived by 12 children, 18 grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren