After concluding his role in “Hill Street Blues,” James Sikking appeared in nearly 100 episodes of “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” collaborating once again with Steven Bochco, who co-created both series starring Neil Patrick Harris.
He married Florine Caplan and together they raised two children, enjoying the company of four grandchildren.
Sikking had largely retired by the release of the “Hill Street Blues” box set. In the new millennium, he took on fewer but notable roles, making guest appearances on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and starring in romantic comedies like “Fever Pitch” and “Made of Honor.” His final performances were as a guest star on an episode of “The Closer” in 2012 and in the film “Just an American” that same year.
Despite his reduced acting career, Sikking remained active in charity work, participating in celebrity golf tournaments and attending the opening of a health center in a small Iowa town of 7,200 people. He humorously remarked to the crowd, “Actually, I came to get something from you — air I can’t see,” as reported by The Associated Press in 1982.
Reflecting on his career, Sikking spoke to startrek.com in 2014, saying, “Acting is a license to do self-investigation. It’s a great ego trip to be an actor. I must say that, in the past few years in which I haven’t worked, the obscurity has been quite attractive.”
He concluded, “The condiment of my life is good fortune.”
