Barbara Bosson, Emmy Nominee for 'Hill Street Blues,' Dies at 83

Barbara Bosson, a six-time Emmy nominee — five in a row for her work on "Hill Street Blues" — died in her sleep in L.A. on February 18, her son Jesse Bochco confirmed to THR. She was 83.

Bosson was fiercely protective of her character Fay Furillo on the show. A divorcée, Fay veered into what Bosson feared was whiny territory, so she suggested the writers reframe her as a victims' advocate rather than merely as a victim.

She stayed with the show until her husband, series creator Steven Bochco, was fired for refusing to cut costs, but worked on several of his other series, including 42 episodes of the John Ritter-starring "Hooperman" (1987-1989), the short-lived "Cop Rock" (1990), and 41 episodes of "Murder One" (1995-1997). She received her final Emmy nomination for the latter, and reprised her role as steely prosecutor Miriam Grasso in the 1997 miniseries "Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer," which became her final work on TV or in film.

Bosson was born November 1, 1939, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, growing up in Belle Vernon. She later lived in Florida.

As a struggling actress, she was a Playboy bunny in NYC while learning her craft with noted teachers Milton Katselas and Herbert Berghof. Having had to put off college, she was finally able to enroll in Carnegie-Mellon in her mid-20s, where she met Bochco and two men with whom she would later work on "Hill Street Blues" — Charles Haid and Bruce Weitz.

She married Bochco in 1970, and they were together until 1997. He died of leukemia in 2018 at 74.

Bosson made an uncredited film debut in the Steve McQueen hit "Bullitt" (1968) and was also uncredited in the Don Knotts comedy "The Love God?" (1969), worked in Lucille Ball's ill-fated "Mame" (1974), and had more substantial roles in "Capricorn One" (1977) and especially "The Last Starfighter" (1984).

She made numerous TV guest appearances, including "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" (1968-1969; as part of the comedy troupe The Committee), "Mannix" (1969), "Emergency!" (1972), "Ironside" (1972), "McMillan & Wife" (1974 & 1976), five episodes of "Richie Brockelman, Private Eye" (1978), "Crazy Like a Fox" (1986), "Hotel" (1988), "Murder, She Wrote" (1988), "Civil Wars" (1992-1993), "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1994), "NYPD Blue" (1994), and "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1995).

Bosson is survived by her two children with Bochco and their two grandchildren.