Actor who starred in TV series Starsky and Hutch has died at age 80

Bernie Hamilton, the actor who played the no-nonsense police captain on the 1970s TV series `Starsky and Hutch,' died Tuesday. He was 80.

Hamilton died of cardiac arrest at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, said his son, Raoul Hamilton.

Hamilton appeared in more than 20 films, including `The Young One,' `The Devil at 4 O'Clock,' `Synanon,' `The Swimmer,' `Walk the Walk' and `The Organization.'

He also made guest appearances on television series before becoming a regular on `Starsky and Hutch,' the ABC police drama starring Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul.

Hamilton played the brusque, by-the-book Capt. Harold Dobey, a role that gave him wide recognition to this day, his son said.

After `Starsky and Hutch,' Hamilton spent the next 20 years in the music business producing R&B and gospel records under the record label Chocolate Snowman.