David Soul — star of the 1970s television series Starsky & Hutch – died at the age of 80 years old, his wife, Helen Snell, confirmed in a new statement. She described her late husband as a “beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother.”
In her statement to PEOPLE, Helen revealed that David “died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family. … He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
As a Chicago native, David originally intended to play baseball with the Chicago White Sox, the outlet reported. He then changed his mind and decided to become a diplomat. His eventual stumble into the entertainment industry was “purely accidental,” his website reads, according to the publication.
Throughout the 1960s, David began performing in stage productions after he helped create the Firehouse Theater in Minneapolis. As he gained recognition for his stage presence, David was given the chance to sign a contract with Columbia Pictures. Upon landing a few cameos and minor roles in TV shows, David began to appear in popular series, such as Star Trek, Gunsmoke and I Dream of Jeannie.
Starsky & Hutch earned both David and his co-star, Paul Michael Glaser, critical and audience acclaim. The series ran for four seasons from 1975 to 1979. The two actors remained friends in the decades since their show wrapped. In November 2023, David tweeted a shout-out to Paul, calling him “my best friend, my brother” and noting that they had just gotten “off the phone.”
Due to the success of their series, Paul and David reunited on screen as their original Starsky & Hutch characters for the 2004 film adaptation, which starred Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller and Snoop Dogg.
David married his first wife, Miriam “Mim” Russeth, in 1964, and they divorced one year later. In 1968, David wed his second wife, Karen Carlson, and they split in 1977. In 1980, David tied the knot with Patti Carnel Sherman, and they eventually separated. By 1987, the late television star married Julia Nickson. While it’s unclear when exactly they separated, David met his fifth wife, Helen, in 2002, and they tied the knot in 2010.