Gay policeman, actor Earl Holliman, dies at the age of 96

Gay actor Earl Holliman, best known for playing Sergeant Bill Crowley in the 1970s cop procedural drama. Policewomandied at the age of 96.

This was confirmed by his husband Craig Curtis Hollywood reporter that Holliman died at home in Studio City, Los Angeles on Monday (November 25) after receiving hospice care.

Born into a poor family in Louisiana in 1928, Holliman began his acting career in a small family movie AND TV roles in the early 1950s, after a year of enlisting in the United States Navy during World War II.

In 1956, he landed a small role in an epic drama Giantin which they will appear alongside the biggest Hollywood stars, including the main role of Elizabeth Taylor, Rock HudsonAND James Dean. In the western, he played Bob Dace, the son-in-law of Taylor and Hudson’s characters.

That same year, he scored his breakthrough role in the 1956 western romance Rainmakerfor which he won a Golden Globe in the Best Supporting Actor category for the role of Jim Curry – the lovestruck teenage brother of Lizzie Curry, Katharine Hepburn’s main character. Even though he was up against the king of rock and roll himself, Elvis Presley, for the honor, Holliman still won.

Before the decade ended, in 1959, he landed a starring role in a CBS western series Hotel de Pareeand appeared in the first episode of Rod Serling’s cult science-fiction series, The Twilight Zone.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, he also appeared in major film productions, including: Katie Elder’s sons next to John Wayne, Shooting at the OK Corral with Kirk Douglas and Hot Spell with Shirley Booth.

In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s he moved to leading roles in TV series, including on the NBC Western A wide country and romantic drama Thorn Birdsand his most recognizable role in Policewomanin which he starred alongside Angie Dickinson for 91 episodes.

Talking about his role in Policewomanin which he played the head of the LAPD to Sergeant Pepper Dickinson, Holliman said, “She would get into trouble and I would run out and save her… I would make some smart remark and she would respond to me in some sexy way by the way and a lot of that was advertised.” We had tacit permission to do so.”

In addition to regular guest roles on television, later in his career he directed a 1990s crime drama P.S. I love youcomedy series Delta AND Karolina in the cityand a series about superheroes, Night Man. His role in Delta earned him a second Golden Globe nomination in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role category.

He most recently appeared on screen in the 2021 documentary film Journey to Królewska.

In addition to his appearances on screen and stage, Holliman was known as a staunch animal rights activist who spent a quarter of a century as a prophet with the nonprofit organization Actors and Others for Animals.

Holliman has never spoken publicly about his sexuality, but is survived by his husband Curtis, who paid tribute to him as a “compassionate” and “gracious” man.

He remembered Holliman as “a gracious, kind confidant, a consummate host, a man whose tirelessly positive attitude was evergreen and fueled by a 1,000-watt smile, easy charm and contagious kindness,” he says. Diversity.

“It was a joy and a privilege to spend time with him, he was level-headed and compassionate, possessed of a deep sensitivity and a mischievous sense of humor that was belied by his stoic handsome face.”

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