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Basil Hoffman Dies: Veteran Film/TV Actor And Author Was 83

Bruce Haring
·1 min read

Basil Hoffman, whose long career in film and television is best remembered for his portrayal of Ed Greenglass on Hill Street Blues, died Sept. 17. No details on where or cause of death were given by his manager, Brad Lemack.

Hoffman appeared in more than 200 roles in TV and films. The veteran character actor was a recurring player in several series, including Hill Street Blues, Santa Barbara, Square Pegs and Courage, New Hampshire.

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Born in Houston, Hoffman graduated Tulane University with an economics degree, then headed to New York. He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and scored several commercials and bit parts before heading to Hollywood.

His acting resume includes roles in the Academy Award-winning films Ordinary People and The Artist, as well as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Hail Caesar!, All the President’s Men, Comes a Horseman, The Milagro Beanfield War and Down With Love, among others.

In television, he had roles in Seinfeld, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Waltons, Sanford and Son, Columbo, Night Court, L.A. Law, Murder, She Wrote and The West Wing.

His final role will be in the feature comedy Lucky Louie, which is in post-production.

Beyond his acting career, Hoffman was an author of the books Cold Reading and How to Be Good at It, Acting and How to Be Good at It, and Acting and How to Be Good at It: The Second Edition.

No information was immediately available on survivors or memorial plans.

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