Taurean Blacque died on Thursday. He was best known for his role as Detective Neal Washington on “Hill Street Blues,” for which he was nominated for an Emmy. He was 82.
His family told the Daily News on Friday that Blacque had died in Atlanta.
The actor was born Herbert Middleton Jr. in Newark, New Jersey. He played Detective Neal Washington on the popular NBC police drama, which won four Emmys for best drama series.
Blacque’s acting resume included roles on other classic TV shows as a guest star. In 1976, he made his first TV appearance on “What’s Happening!!.” Over the next two years, he appeared on “Sanford and Son,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Good Time,” and “Taxi.” He also showed up on “The Love Boat” and “Growing Pains” many years later.
Blacque had parts in the movies “Rocky II” and “Oliver & Company,” both of which were made by Disney.
In addition to his roles on “Hill Street Blues,” which he played from 1981 to 1987, and “Generations,” where he played Henry Marshall from 1989 to 1990, the late actor also played Detective Wheeler on The WB’s “Savannah” in the second half of the 1990s.
He was last seen on TV in an episode of “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World” on ABC in 2018.
After “Hill Street Blues,” Blacque was a regular at the Atlanta Black Theater Company and the Black Theater Festival in North Carolina, according to Deadline.