Actor Taurean Blacque, who played Detective Neal Washington in the classic series “Hill Street Blues”, died Thursday (7/21) in Atlanta after a brief illness at the age of 82.
He starred in all seven seasons of the drama that revolutionized crime series in the 1980s, appearing in 144 episodes from 1981 to 1987. Previously seen on TV, it earned Blacque an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a drama series in 1982.
Blacque’s character, Detective Neal Washington, was a respected but stern veteran police officer known for wearing a cap and having a toothpick in his hand, which were true trademarks.
The actor was born Herbert Middleton Jr. in Newark, New Jersey on May 10, 1940. He began acting in the mid-1970s with the Negro Ensemble Company, an all-black theater company based in New York, where he adopted the pseudonym of Taurean (due to the Taurus) Blacque (for color), and soon began appearing as a guest on TV series such as “Sanford and Son”, “Good Times”, “What’s Happening”, “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Taxi”.
After his success in “Chumbo Grosso”, he played yet another policeman in the 90s, during the two seasons of the drama series “Savannah” (1996-97).
She leaves 12 children, many of them adopted, as well as 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Source: Terra
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
