James B. Sikking

Los Angeles, California, United States

Biography

An American actor known for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter on the 1980s NBC TV series Hill Street Blues. He also starred on the ABC TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser and on the short-lived 1997 CBS drama series Brooklyn South as Captain Stan Jonas. Sikking did the voice of General Gordon on the short-lived 1998 cartoon series Invasion America. His well known films include The Competition, Outland, Up the Creek and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, in which he played Captain Styles, the captain of the USS Excelsior. Sikking's film career started in 1955. Sikking starred in the critically acclaimed 1992 Fox Network TV movie Doing Time on Maple Drive. He has made guest appearances on many TV series including Perry Mason, Rawhide, Bonanza, The Outer Limits, General Hospital, Hunter and Batman Beyond. Sikking was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Sue Sikking (née Paxton), was a founder of Santa Monica's Unity-by-the-Sea Church. He has two living brothers, Tom and Art, and a sister, Joy. James Barrie Sikking has a third brother, Robert Paxton Sikking born October 20, 1922, died April 22, 1988. His brother Bob served in the 101st Airborne and was a partial inspiration for Stephen Speilberg and Tom Hanks production Band of Brothers. Bob was awarded two purple hearts, the bronze star, and together with his fellow soldiers, received a presidential citation for their part in the Siege of Bastogne which led to the defeat of Hitler's sixth Army. His photograph as the first American soldier to reach Dachau Concentration Camp appears in the Imperial War Museum, London. Sikking is the father of actor Andrew Sikking.

Movies

Paris is an American television series that appeared on the CBS television network from September 29, 1979 to January 15, 1980. A crime drama, the show is notable as the first-ever appearance of renowned actor James Earl Jones in a lead role on television and was created by Steven Bochco, who later achieved fame for Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue, also served as executive producer. The program told the story of Los Angeles Police Captain Woody Paris, who supervised a team of young detectives. The rookie investigators were led by Sergeant Stacy Erickson and included officers Charlie Bogart, Ernesto Villas, and Willie Miller. Hank Garrett portrayed Deputy Chief Jerome Bench, Paris' superior, and, in an unusual turn for police dramas of that era, Paris' home and off-duty life was given considerable attention in the plots, with Lee Chamberlin playing his wife, Barbara. Paris was also shown moonlighting as a professor of criminology at a local university. Although Paris was critically acclaimed for its portrayal of the tension between the professional Paris character and his often impetuous underlings, CBS scheduled the show in one of the worst possible timeslots on a weekly schedule: Saturdays at 10 p.m./9 Central. All three networks debuted new shows for the 1979-80 season in that slot; only ABC's Hart to Hart survived its first 13 weeks. Toward the end of its run, CBS moved it to Tuesdays at 10/9, but to no avail. Edward DeBlasio produced the show for MTM Enterprises, which would unveil, during the next season, executive producer Bochco's landmark Hill Street Blues, on NBC.

More info
Paris
1979