Robert Hogan, veteran character actor known for The Wire and Laverne and Shirley, dies at 87
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Robert Hogan, a veteran TV and stage actor, died May 27 from pneumonia at his home in Maine. He was 87. Hogan's family confirmed his death to The New York Times.
One of Hollywood's most prolific character actors, Hogan's impressive career included roles in more than 100 shows as well as roles in almost every daytime drama, including The Twilight Zone, Laverne and Shirley, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I Dream of Jeannine, The Wire, M*A*S*H, Days of Our Lives, Young and the Restless, and Hogan's Heroes. Although Hogan only appeared on the CBS comedy featuring his name as a guest star, co-creator Bernie Fein — who was a friend of Hogan's — named the character after him. Hogan was initially considered for the role before it went to actor Robert Crane.
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images Robert Hogan
Born in Queens, Hogan served in the U.S. Army and went on to study engineering at New York University. An aptitude test at the suggestion of his professor would lead Hogan away from engineering and into acting, and he entered the American Academy of Dramatic Arts soon after.
Splitting his career between New York and California allowed Hogan to have an extensive stage career in addition to his Hollywood roles. He appeared on and off-Broadway and in regional theater productions, and his performance as Clarence Darrow in Never the Sinner earned him an Outer Critics Circle Award in 1988. Hogan was also an original cast member of Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men when it debuted on Broadway.
Hogan's impact on the industry and his storied career didn't go unnoticed: in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton gave Hogan a shoutout in the film while watching an episode of The F.B.I.
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