Stuart Margolin dies: The two-time Emmy winner of “The Rockford Files” was 82 years old

Stuart Margolin, who won multiple Emmys for his recurring role as Evelyn “Angel” Martin The Rockford Files and earned more than 120 career screen credits, died today, his stepson Max Martini said on social media. He turned 82.

In an Instagram post (see below) Bosch: Legacy Regular Martini wrote: “A very gifted stepfather who was always there with love and support for his family. rest in peace dad Keep her cool.” He did not give a cause of death or other details.

Margolin won Emmys in 1979 and 1980 for NBC’s fifth and sixth seasons, respectively. The Rockford Files, who plays Jim Rockford’s (James Garner) former cellmate. Appearing in more than three dozen episodes, including the first and last of the series, his shady but lovable character constantly sought Rockford’s help after becoming entangled with former criminal allies.

The Rockford Files was a first hit, charting at No. 14 on the primetime charts in a three-station universe in its first season in 1974-75 and spawning a Top 10 single with Mike Post’s instrumental title track. But after that it became more of a cult show, never again making the top 30 all season as it tumbled around NBC’s schedule, but winning the 1978 Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. She has also been nominated in the category for the past two seasons. .

Margolin reprized his angelic role Rockford Files TV movies in the 1990s, a tribute to the series’ enduring popularity.

But that certainly wasn’t Margolin’s only credit.

Margolin appeared in series with Garner before and after The Rockford Files. He was a regular in the short-lived western nicholas, He plays the town bully to Garner’s violent, hateful, get-rich-quick character. The show ran for one season on NBC in 1971-72.

They would then reunite for another NBC western Rockford finished. Brett Maverick was based on Independent thinking person, the 1957-62 series starring Garner – who quit in 1960 – as a smart, orderly ladies’ man and card expert. Margolin starred as Philo Sandine, an Indian scout slash-con guy who wasn’t far removed from his role as Angel. The series ran for one season from 1981 to 1982 and aired in reruns in 1990 on NBC.

Margolin began his career in the early 1960s with guest appearances on popular series such as Fugitive Ben Casey and Alfred Hitchcock presented. Margolin continued to appear on television during this decade in memorable and enduring shows including Ironside, the girlian The Monkees, Bewitched, the FBI and the Partridge Family. He also became a familiar face in the horny anthology comedy love american style, appeared in more than two dozen episodes from 1966-73.

Margolin landed another 1980s series regular on the NBC sitcom Sir. blacksmith, Commander of a character tasked with keeping tabs on the title character – a talking orangutan who is America’s newest secret weapon. The high-profile but poorly rated show ran for a handful of episodes in the fall of 1983.

After that, Margolin mostly settled into character-actor mode and enjoyed guest-starring in series Hill Street Blues, mad as a fox and The Tracey Ullman Show. He landed another regular role in Canadian drama mother, PI, plays a cynical private investigator who hires a widowed waitress (Rosemary Dunsmore) as his assistant. It aired in two seasons from 1990 to 1992.

Margolin continued to work in television for the next three decades, including guest appearances on popular shows Touched by an angel, 30 stones and NCISalong with a recurring role beggars and voters.

So he would get one last run of regular appearances stone under the ceiling (aka empty stone), a syndicated police drama that aired 26 episodes on CBC in Canada from 2001 to 2002. Margolin played Jack Welsh, an old friend of the title star (Chris William Martin) who was, of course, a small-time con who helped the undercover Stone catch corrupt businessmen.

Margolin has also done film work, mostly in the 2000s and 2010s. One of his most recent achievements was a role in the revived Fox sci-fi drama in 2018 X files.