Veteran Actors Al Harrington, Basil Hoffman, and Tim Donnelly Have Died

Three veteran actors of television and film, known for shows such as Hill Street Blues, Hawaii Five-0, and Emergency!, have sadly passed away in recent days.

Basil Hoffman, a prolific character actor who had more than 100 roles across film and TV, died on September 17, according to his manager Brad Lemack. He was 83.

Hoffman was perhaps best known for his recurring role as Ed Greenglass on the NBC police procedural Hill Street Blues and Principal Dingleman on the CBS sitcom Square Pegs. He also had roles in Santa Barbara, Courage, New Hampshire, Seinfeld, The Waltons, Murder, She Wrote, The West Wing, and many more.

Al Harrington, the Samoan-American actor most known for his portrayal of Detective Ben Kokua on the original Hawaii Five-0, passed away on September 21 following a stroke earlier in the month. He was 85.

Harrington, who was one of the last surviving cast members from the original series, also had a recurring spot in the CBS reboot as a different character. His other TV credits include Magnum, P.I., Scrubs, and The Byrds of Paradise.

“Al was truly a gift from God. A noble, compassionate, patient and gentle man with a witty sense of humor and a larger-than-life laugh that will echo in my heart until we are reunited,” said Harrington’s wife Rosa in a statement to People. “It was his greatest honor to represent his people on-screen, and to serve them off-screen.”

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Tim Donnelly, known for his role as the happy-go-lucky firefighter Chet Kelly on NBC’s 1970s medical drama Emergency!, has also died at the age of 77. He also made appearances in the series Dragnet 1967, Project, U.F.O, B.J. and the Bear, CHiPs, and the original Hawaii Five-0.

A cause of death has not been disclosed, but Donnelly’s passing was confirmed in a tribute post on the Los Angeles County Fire Museum Facebook page.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our friend, Tim Donnelly, this weekend. To all the Emergency! fans, we want you to know that he was very excited about coming to the Museum in January for the 50th Anniversary,” a spokesperson wrote. “Many of the Museum Board Members have great memories of Tim from our time on Project 51 and personal contact. To his daughter, grandchildren, and siblings, we offer our sincerest condolences.”