Michael Conrad

Michael Conrad (October 16, 1925November 22, 1983) was an American actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of veteran cop Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on Hill Street Blues. He won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Hill Street Blues in 1981 and 1982.
Life and career
Conrad served in the United States Army during World War II.
Conrad had a long acting career in television from the 1950s to the 1980s. In 1962 he appeared in the television series Car 54, Where Are You? in an uncredited part as a construction worker. He played Felton Grimes, the title character and murder victim, in the 1963 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Bigamous Spouse", and in 1965 played the role of a villain named AC in My Favorite Martian, "Martin's Revoltin' Development", and played the role of Paul in The FBI (season 1, episode 24), "The Man Who Went Mad by Mistake".
In 1972, Conrad played Michael Stivic's conventional Polish-American Uncle Casimir on two episodes of All in the Family. The same year, he appeared, together with Richard Crenna and Alain Delon, in the French-language film Un flic, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. He also had a memorable role in the 1974 film The Longest Yard, playing Nate Scarboro, a retired NFL tight end (New York Giants) who was also the head coach for "the Mean Machine", the team of prisoners put together by Burt Reynolds' character Paul Crewe to play the team of guards.
During the 1976–77 season of Delvecchio, Conrad was a regular as Lt. Macavan.
Conrad is perhaps best known for his role as Sgt. Philip Freemason Esterhaus on the 1981-1987 police drama Hill Street Blues, a role he played for 71 episodes until his death.
Death
Conrad died from urethral cancer in November 1983 during the fourth season of Hill Street Blues. The show's writers wrote his death into the show, although they credited the character's death to a different reason.
Spouses
Denise McCluggage (1953–54; divorced)
Emilie Demille (October 30, 1963 - February 1967; divorced)
Sima Goldberg (January 27, 1974 - November 22, 1983; his death)
Television and filmography
Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) as Gladiator (uncredited)
Harbormaster (1957, TV Series)
The Mugger (1958) as Guy Throwing Craps
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) as Ma Greeny's Thug
The Naked City (1959, TV Series) as Hartog (episode "Fire Island")
The Edge of Night (1959–60, TV Series) as "Big" Frank Dubeck
Car 54, Where Are You? (1962, TV Series) as Construction Foreman / Smasher (uncredited)
Route 66 (1960-1963, TV Series) as Deputy Sam Harris / Al Jenkins
Perry Mason (1963, TV Series) as Felton Grimes
Wagon Train (1963, TV Series) as Luke Moss
The Twilight Zone (TV Series, episode "Black Leather Jackets") as Deputy Sheriff Harper
Brenner (1959-1964, TV Series) as Chick Arnel
Flipper (1964, TV Series) as Conlon
Rawhide (1965, TV Series) as Jerry Munson
Daniel Boone (1965, TV Series) as Sharben
The War Lord (1965) as Rainault
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1965, TV Series) as Bernie Stern / Mr. Mack
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1966, TV Series) as Sergeant Arthur Henchley
My Favorite Martian (1966, TV Series) as A.C.
Laredo (1966, TV Series) as Willie G. Tinney
Bonanza (1966, TV Series) as Hank Kelly
I Spy (1965-1966, TV Series) as Dinat / Morton
Gunsmoke (1964-1966, TV Series) as Cash McLean / Paul Douglas / Dick Corwin
That Girl (1966, TV Series) as Mr. Johnson
The Fugitive (1966, TV Series) as Hogan
Felony Squad (1966-1967, TV Series) as Zackary / Steve
Blackbeard's Ghost (1968) as Pinetop Purvis
Lost in Space (1968, TV Series) as Creech
Sol Madrid (1968) as Scarpi
Three Guns for Texas (1968) as Ranger Willy G. Tinney
It Takes a Thief (1968, TV Series) as Anton
Castle Keep (1969) as Sgt. DeVaca
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) as Rollo
The Virginian (1969-1970, TV Series) as John White / Sam Marish
Monte Walsh (1970) as Dally Johnson
The Silent Force (episode "Cry in Concrete") (1970, TV Series) as Max Fredericks
Head On (1971) as Mike
The Todd Killings (1971) as Detective Shaw
Ironside (1970-1971, TV Series) as Tracy / Frank O'Neill
Thumb Tripping (1972) as Diesel
Mission: Impossible (1970, TV Series) as Ralph Davies
Alias Smith and Jones (1972, TV Series) as Mike McCloskey
Un Flic (1972) as Louis Costa
All in the Family (1972, TV Series) as Uncle Casimir Stivic
Scream Blacula Scream (1973) as Sheriff Harley Dunlop
Love, American Style (1973, TV Series) as Rossi (segment "Love and the See-Through Mind")
Mannix (1970-1973, TV Series) as Dave Tremble / Rick
The F.B.I. (1966-1973, TV Series) as Roger Tetlow / Paul Hogan
The Bob Newhart Show (1973-1974, TV Series) as Mr. Trevesco
W (1974) as Lt. Whitfield
The Longest Yard (1974) as Nate Scarboro
Lucas Tanner (1974, TV Series) as Mr. Farnsworth
Planet of the Apes (1974, TV Series) as Janor
Satan's Triangle (1975, TV Movie) as Lt. Cmdr. Pagnolini
Emergency! (1973-1975, TV Series) - Bob Stecker / Bob Hurley
S.W.A.T. (1975, TV Series) as Vince
Gone with the West (1975) as Smithy
The Rockford Files (1975, TV Series) as George Macklan
Baby Blue Marine (1976) as Drill Instructor
Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) as Billy Gallagher
Starsky and Hutch (1975-1976, TV Series) as Capt. Mike Ferguson / Cannell
The Six Million Dollar Man (1975-1977, TV Series) as Boris Retsky / Jimbo
Little House on the Prairie (1977, TV Series) as Broder
Hawaii Five-O (1972-1978, TV Series) as Arthur / Kira Johnson
How the West Was Won (1978, TV Series) as Marshal Russell
Charlie's Angels (1978, TV Series) as Ed Slocum
The Waltons (1978, TV Series) as Matt Sarver
Soap (1978, TV Series) as 'Boomer' David
Vega$ (1979, TV Series) as Albert Brown
Barney Miller (1979, TV Series) as Col. Charles Dundee
CHiPs (1979, TV Series) as Mr. Chambers / Karl Maddox
Las mujeres de Jeremías (1980) as Spencer
Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1981) as Engineer
The Incredible Hulk (1981, TV Series) as Emerson Fletcher
Hill Street Blues (1981-1984, TV Series) (65 episodes) as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (final appearance)
References
External links
Michael Conrad at the University of Wisconsin's Actors Studio audio collection
1925 births
1983 deaths
Male actors from New York City
American male television actors
Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
Deaths from cancer in California
20th-century American male actors