‘Hill Street Blues’ star Barbara Bosson dead at 83

Barbara Bosson, best known for starring in “Hill Street Blues,” died at age 83 on Saturday.

The 5-time Emmy-nominated actress played divorcee Fay Furillo on the hit NBC police drama from 1981 until 1987.

Bosson’s death was announced by her son, director Jesse Bocho, on Instagram Monday.

“More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at,” he wrote in a heartfelt tribute. “When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama.”

Bocho later shared another snap of him and his late mother, writing, “Rest easy mom.”

In addition to “Hill Street Blues,” Bosson was also known for appearing on three famous ABC series, including “Hooperman,” “Cop Rock,” and “Murder One.”

All four of the series were co-created by her then-husband Steven Bocho. The pair were married from 1970 until their divorce in 1997.

Bosson picked up an Emmy nomination for her role as Miriam Grasso in “Murder One.” She went on to receive four more Emmy nods for other projects.

The actress got her acting start in Steve McQueen’s 1958 film “Bullitt,” before going on to star in the CBS detective series, “Mannix.”


The cast of Hill Street Blues. Barbara Bosson played Fay Furillo in the NBC television series.
The cast of Hill Street Blues. Barbara Bosson played Fay Furillo in the NBC television series.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via

Bosson continued to dabble in TV work, landing a role on NBC’s “Richie Brockelman, Private Eye” before bagging her biggest role to date in “Hill Street Blues.”

Her final projects included roles in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Total Security,” and the 1998 film “Scattering Dad.”

Bosson, who was born on November 1, 1939, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, was raised in Belle Vernon before her her family relocated to Florida.

While at university in the Sunshine State, she met her ex-husband Steven Bocho in the 1960s.

The pair welcomed son Jesse in 1975 during their 7-year union, before divorcing in 1997. Steven died in 2018 after a battle with leukemia. He was 74.

source: nypost.com