Michael Conrad (October 16, 1925November 22, 1983) was an American actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of veteran cop Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'', in which he ended the introductory roll call to each week's show with "Let's be careful out there". He won two

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for ''Hill Street Blues'' in 1981 and 1982.

Life and career

Conrad served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Conrad had a long acting career in television from the 1950s to the 1980s. In 1962 he appeared in the television series ''

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City p ...

'' in an uncredited part as a construction worker. He played Felton Grimes, the title character and murder victim, in the 1963 ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' episode "The Case of the Bigamous Spouse", and in 1965 played the role of a villain named AC in ''

My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totalin ...

'', "Martin's Revoltin' Development", and played the role of Paul in ''

The FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (season 1, episode 24), "The Man Who Went Mad by Mistake". In 1972, Conrad played

Michael Stivic Michael Casimir "Mike" Stivic is a fictional character played by Rob Reiner on the 1970s American television sitcom ''All in the Family''. He is the live-in son-in-law of the series' lead character, Archie Bunker, who frequently calls him "Meathe ...

's conventional Polish-American Uncle Casimir on two episodes of ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

''. The same year, he appeared, together with

Richard Crenna Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American film, television and radio actor. Crenna starred in such motion pictures as ''The Sand Pebbles'', ''Wait Until Dark'', ''Un Flic'', ''Body Heat'', the first three ' ...

and Alain Delon, in the French-language film ''

Un flic ''Un flic'' ( en, A Cop; also known as ''Dirty Money'') is a 1972 French crime film, the last directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. It stars Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve and Richard Crenna. Delon had previously worked with Melville on '' Le Samoura� ...

'', directed by

Jean-Pierre Melville Jean-Pierre Melville (; born Jean-Pierre Grumbach; 20 October 1917 – 2 August 1973) was a French filmmaker and actor. Among his films are ''Le Silence de la mer'' (1949), ''Bob le flambeur'' (1956), '' Le Doulos'' (1962), ''Le Samouraï'' (196 ...

. He also had a memorable role in the 1974 film '' The Longest Yard'', playing Nate Scarboro, a retired NFL tight end ( New York Giants) who was also the head coach for "the Mean Machine", the team of prisoners put together by

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

' character Paul Crewe to play the team of guards. During the 1976–77 season of '' Delvecchio'', Conrad was a regular as Lt. Macavan. Conrad is perhaps best known for his role as Sgt. Philip Freemason Esterhaus on the 1981-1987 police drama ''

'', a role he played for 71 episodes, always uttering his famous end of police roll call with the expression “let’s be careful out there”, until his death.

Death

Conrad died from

urethral cancer Urethral cancer is a rare cancer originating from the urethra. The disease has been classified by the TNM staging system and the World Health Organization. Symptoms include blood in the urine, lump at end of penis, or bloody penile discharge. ...

in November 1983 during the fourth season of ''Hill Street Blues''. The show's writers wrote his death into the show, although they credited the character's death to a different reason.

Spouses

* Denise McCluggage (1953–54; divorced) * Emilie Demille (October 30, 1963 - February 1967; divorced) * Sima Goldberg (January 27, 1974 - November 22, 1983; his death)

Television and filmography

* ''

Demetrius and the Gladiators ''Demetrius and the Gladiators'' is a 1954 American biblical drama film and a sequel to '' The Robe''. The picture was made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Delmer Daves and produced by Frank Ross. The screenplay was written by Philip Dunne ...

'' (1954) as Gladiator (uncredited) * ''

Harbormaster A harbourmaster (or harbormaster, see spelling differences) is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct opera ...

'' (1957, TV Series) * ''

The Mugger ''The Mugger'' is a 1958 American film noir crime film about a police psychiatrist who is attempting to catch a mysterious mugger that has been attacking women in his city, stealing their purses and slashing their left cheek. The film is a police ...

'' (1958) as Guy Throwing Craps * ''Requiem for a Heavyweight'' (1962) as Ma Greeny's Thug * ''

The Naked City ''The Naked City'' (aka ''Naked City'') is a 1948 American film noir directed by Jules Dassin, starring Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart and Don Taylor. The film, shot almost entirely on location in New York City, depicts the poli ...

'' (1959, TV Series) as Hartog (episode "

Fire Island Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York. Occasionally, the name is used to refer collectively to not only the central island, but also Lo ...

") * ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that netwo ...

'' (1959–60, TV Series) as "Big" Frank Dubeck * ''

'' (1962, TV Series) as Construction Foreman / Smasher (uncredited) * '' Route 66'' (1960-1963, TV Series) as Deputy Sam Harris / Al Jenkins * ''

'' (1963, TV Series) as Felton Grimes * ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' (1963, TV Series) as Luke Moss * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' (TV Series, episode "

Black Leather Jackets "Black Leather Jackets" is episode 138 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone''. In this episode, three aliens disguised as young men in leather jackets encounter a kink in their plan to exterminate humankind when one of th ...

") as Deputy Sheriff Harper * '' Brenner'' (1959-1964, TV Series) as Chick Arnel * '' Flipper'' (1964, TV Series) as Conlon * '' Rawhide'' (1965, TV Series) as Jerry Munson * ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' (1965, TV Series) as Sharben * ''

The War Lord ''The War Lord'' is a 1965 American drama historical film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston. The film, which concerns medieval warfare and culture in 11th-century Normandy, is an adaptation of the play ''The Lovers ...

'' (1965) as Rainault * ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...

'' (1965, TV Series) as Bernie Stern / Mr. Mack * ''

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.''The show (and CBS) renders the title as ''Gomer Pyle – USMC''. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spin-off of ''The Andy Griffith Sho ...

'' (1966, TV Series) as Sergeant Arthur Henchley * ''

'' (1966, TV Series) as A.C. * '' Laredo'' (1966, TV Series) as Willie G. Tinney * '' Bonanza'' (1966, TV Series) as Hank Kelly * ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'' (1965-1966, TV Series) as Dinat / Morton * ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (1964-1966, TV Series) as Cash McLean / Paul Douglas / Dick Corwin * ''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

'' (1966, TV Series) as Mr. Johnson * '' The Fugitive'' (1966, TV Series) as Hogan * ''

Felony Squad ''The Felony Squad'' is a half-hour television crime drama originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 12, 1966, to January 31, 1969, a span encompassing seventy-three episodes. Overview The program starred Howard Duff (as Sergeant ...

'' (1966-1967, TV Series) as Zackary / Steve * ''

Blackbeard's Ghost ''Blackbeard's Ghost'' is a 1968 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and Bill Walsh. It is based upon the 1965 nove ...

'' (1968) as Pinetop Purvis * ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'' (1968, TV Series) as Creech * '' Sol Madrid'' (1968) as Scarpi * ''Three Guns for Texas'' (1968) as Ranger Willy G. Tinney * '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968, TV Series) as Anton * '' Castle Keep'' (1969) as Sgt. DeVaca * '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' (1969) as Rollo * '' The Virginian'' (1969-1970, TV Series) as John White / Sam Marish * '' Monte Walsh'' (1970) as Dally Johnson * ''

The Silent Force ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (episode "Cry in Concrete") (1970, TV Series) as Max Fredericks * ''Head On'' (1971) as Mike * ''

The Todd Killings ''The Todd Killings'' is a 1971 psychological thriller directed by Barry Shear and starring Robert F. Lyons, Richard Thomas, Belinda Montgomery, and Barbara Bel Geddes. It is based on the true crimes of serial killer Charles Schmid in the 19 ...

'' (1971) as Detective Shaw * '' Ironside'' (1970-1971, TV Series) as Tracy / Frank O'Neill * '' Thumb Tripping'' (1972) as Diesel * '' Mission: Impossible'' (1970, TV Series) as Ralph Davies * ''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, outlaw cousins who are tryin ...

'' (1972, TV Series) as Mike McCloskey * ''

Un Flic ''Un flic'' ( en, A Cop; also known as ''Dirty Money'') is a 1972 French crime film, the last directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. It stars Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve and Richard Crenna. Delon had previously worked with Melville on '' Le Samoura� ...

'' (1972) as Louis Costa * ''

'' (1972, TV Series) as Uncle Casimir Stivic * ''

Scream Blacula Scream ''Scream Blacula Scream'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation vampire horror film. It is a sequel to the 1972 film '' Blacula''. The film was produced by American International Pictures (AIP) and Power Productions. This was the acting debut of Ri ...

'' (1973) as Sheriff Harley Dunlop * ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'' (1973, TV Series) as Rossi (segment "Love and the See-Through Mind") * '' Mannix'' (1970-1973, TV Series) as Dave Tremble / Rick * ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (1966-1973, TV Series) as Roger Tetlow / Paul Hogan * ''

The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American sitcom television series produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a p ...

'' (1973-1974, TV Series) as Mr. Trevesco * '' W'' (1974) as Lt. Whitfield * '' The Longest Yard'' (1974) as Nate Scarboro * '' Lucas Tanner'' (1974, TV Series) as Mr. Farnsworth * ''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...

'' (1974, TV Series) as Janor * ''

Satan's Triangle ''Satan's Triangle'' is a 1975 American made-for-television mystery horror film directed by Sutton Roley and produced by ABC. The plot involves a United States Coast Guard helicopter sent to answer a distress call from inside the Bermuda Triang ...

'' (1975, TV Movie) as Lt. Cmdr. Pagnolini * ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situa ...

'' (1973-1975, TV Series) - Bob Stecker / Bob Hurley * ''

S.W.A.T. In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

'' (1975, TV Series) as Vince * ''

Gone with the West ''Gone with the West'' is a 1975 American Western film starring James Caan and Stefanie Powers, directed by Bernard Girard. The film is also known as ''Little Moon & Jud McGraw'' in Australia and ''Little Moon and Jud McGraw'' (American reissue ...

'' (1975) as Smithy * ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investiga ...

'' (1975, TV Series) as George Macklan * ''

Baby Blue Marine ''Baby Blue Marine'' is a 1976 American drama film set during World War II that was directed by John D. Hancock and starring Jan-Michael Vincent. The feature film was produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg. Plot Marion “Hedge” Hedg ...

'' (1976) as Drill Instructor * ''

Harry and Walter Go to New York ''Harry and Walter Go to New York'' is a 1976 American historical drama, period comedy film written by John Byrum and Robert Kaufman, directed by Mark Rydell, and starring James Caan, Elliott Gould, Michael Caine, Diane Keaton, Charles Durning an ...

'' (1976) as Billy Gallagher * '' Starsky and Hutch'' (1975-1976, TV Series) as Capt. Mike Ferguson / Cannell * ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...

'' (1975-1977, TV Series) as Boris Retsky / Jimbo * ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the Midwestern United States, American M ...

'' (1977, TV Series) as Broder * ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'' (1972-1978, TV Series) as Arthur / Kira Johnson * '' How the West Was Won'' (1978, TV Series) as Marshal Russell * '' Charlie's Angels'' (1978, TV Series) as Ed Slocum * ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

'' (1978, TV Series) as Matt Sarver * ''

Soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...

'' (1978, TV Series) as 'Boomer' David * ''

Vega$ ''Vegas'' (stylized as ''Vega$'') is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 20, 1978, to June 3, 1981, with the pilot episode airing April 25, 1978. ''Vegas'' was produced by Aaron Spelling and created by Mic ...

'' (1979, TV Series) as Albert Brown * ''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...

'' (1979, TV Series) as Col. Charles Dundee * ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...

'' (1979, TV Series) as Mr. Chambers / Karl Maddox * ''Las mujeres de Jeremías'' (1980) as Spencer * '' Cattle Annie and Little Britches'' (1981) as Engineer * ''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'' (1981, TV Series) as Emerson Fletcher * ''

'' (1981-1984, TV Series) (65 episodes) as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (final appearance)

References

External links

* * *
Michael Conrad
at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

'
Actors Studio audio collection
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conrad, Michael 1925 births 1983 deaths Male actors from New York City American male television actors Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Deaths from cancer in California 20th-century American male actors