American actor Charles Dierkop, renowned for his roles in ‘The Sting,’ ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ and ‘Police Woman,’ passed away on Sunday at the age of 87, according to Deadline. Dierkop suffered a heart attack and subsequently developed pneumonia.
Originally from Wisconsin, Dierkop embarked on his acting career with an uncredited role opposite Paul Newman in ‘The Hustler.’ He later starred alongside Newman as Flat Nose Curry in ‘Butch Cassidy’ and appeared as a bodyguard in the Best Picture Oscar-winning film ‘The Sting’ in 1973.
Dierkop’s television career flourished with recurring roles in series such as ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Batman,’ ‘Adam-12,’ ‘It Takes a Thief,’ ‘Love, American Style,’ ‘Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,’ ‘Lost in Space,’ ‘The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.,’ ‘Mannix,’ ‘Kung Fu,’ ‘The F.B.I.,’ and ‘The Andy Griffith Show.’
He gained prominence for his portrayal of Detective Pete Royston on NBC’s ‘Police Woman,’ a spinoff of ‘Police Story,’ where he starred alongside Angie Dickinson as a series regular from 1974 to 1978.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dierkop made guest appearances on popular television shows like ‘Simon & Simon,’ ‘The Fall Guy,’ ‘T.J. Hooker,’ ‘Matt Houston,’ and ‘MacGyver.’
Dierkop also appeared in several B movies during the 2000s, with his final credited role in the 2018 film ‘Heaven & Hell.’
He is survived by his daughter, Lynn.
