Paul Michael Glaser rose to fame as one half of “Starsky & Hutch.”
The show, which aired on ABC four seasons from 1975 to 1979, followed detectives David Starsky and Kenneth “Hutch'”Hutchinson, played by David Soul, as they patrolled the streets of fictional Bay City, California.
“It seems like we had the same kind of drive in our careers at that point to make something happen, and we were more determined, more adamant to try to do something of quality,” Glaser told the Television Academy in August 2014.
“My own personal drive and David’s personal drive, they identified a level of work or a level of intention that allowed us to be more than just the script. I think the chemistry was there from the beginning.”
‘STARSKY & HUTCH’ ACTOR DAVID SOUL DEAD AT 80
Glaser’s partner in solving crimes, Soul, died overnight Thursday.
“David Soul — beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother — 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 wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement.
“His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Here is what Glaser has been up to since “Starsky & Hutch” came to an end.
Glaser made his directorial debut while still portraying Dave Starsky on “Starsky & Hutch,” having directed five episodes of the show from 1977 to 1979.
One of the connections he made while starring on the show was with Michael Mann, who offered him a position directing a few episodes of “Miami Vice,” which led to Glaser’s Emmy nomination.
“That was quite a cool experience because Michael had wrangled the situation where this was the first series that Miami ever had,” Glaser told the Television Academy. “It was the first series that was functioning outside a studio, on the East coast, with the East Coast unions and all. And, so, Miami couldn’t do enough to help us. The studio being on the other side of the country, didn’t have an awful lot of oversight, so we got to do an awful lot … and I did.”
Following his nomination, Glaser continued directing. Some of his other projects included “Band of the Hand,” “Judging Amy,” “Las Vegas” and “Criminal Minds.” In addition to directing, he was also a producer on “Shark Tank” for 77 episodes from 2010 to 2014.
In addition to creating art on screen, Glaser also finds joy in both drawing and painting.
“My style of artwork emanates from the many facets of my life, both joyous and tragic and full of incredible highs and unbearable lows,” he said on his website. “In my art I enjoy inhabiting contradiction and irony, sometimes humorous, sometimes painful, each conflicting with while illuminating the other. To experience both, for me, is the edge of whimsy.”
While he is primarily known for his work on TV and film, Glaser’s artwork has been shown in multiple galleries in both the U.S. and the U.K., and he has sold “over 1,700 of his artistic offerings” globally, according to his website.
Fans of his art can follow his artwork on his Instagram, where he often posts his latest works. Glaser has also written a few books, including “Chrystallia, And The Source Of Light” and “The Edge of Whimsy,” which features some of his original poetry and artwork.
Glaser brought his career full circle when he played Tevye in a U.K. touring production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in 2013.
“You have an opportunity when you take on something as magical as ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ to really bring something to life that shines,” Glaser told Express & Star in October 2013.
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“You watch it and go, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s why this has been a classic for over 50 years. This is why this has traveled all over the world to many different cultures, to many different religions, everything. I’d say it’s an extraordinary production and an extraordinary musical. I think it’s one of the best musicals ever written.”
The actor was first introduced to the musical when he played Perchik in the 1971 film version. When speaking with the Television Academy, he explained he hadn’t seen the play before but initially thought he was too old for the role when he read the script. However, “one thing lead to another,” and he got the role.
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In 1981, Glaser’s wife Elizabeth Glaser contracted HIV when receiving a blood transfusion while giving birth to their daughter Ariel, later finding out she had passed the disease to her daughter via her breast milk, and her son Jake contracted it in utero.
“What became really evident was that science and medicine hadn’t made enough inroads into their research and medicines that they had created enough of an illusion that science and medicine had the whole thing under control,” he told the Television Academy.
They soon realized the medical world was lacking in terms of treatment for children with HIV, which led to the death of their daughter from AIDS in 1988. Elizabeth then joined forces with her close friends, Susie Zeegen and Susan DeLaurentis, to create a foundation, now known as the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
After Elizabeth died from AIDS in 1994, Glaser continued his dedication toward eliminating HIV and AIDs in pediatric patients through research, advocacy and prevention programs. The foundation is now a global nonprofit.
