Bernie Hamilton, born and raised in Los Angeles, played minor roles in films and stage plays from age seven. He landed his first adult role in "The Jackie Robinson Story," as Robinson's best friend. His thirty major motion picture credits include "Let No Man Write My Epitaph," "The Swimmer," Carmen Jones," "Kismet," "The Girl He Left Behind," "Take a Giant Step" and the memorable "One Potato, Two Potato" in which he starred with Barbara Barrie.
Although "Starskey & Hutch" is his first television series, Hamilton has been prominent among TV actors for over 20 years. In recent years he has guest starred in segments of "That's My Mama," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Hec Ramsey," "All in the Family," "Sanford and Son," "Ironside" and "The Bold Ones."
On the stage he has appeared in productions of "Take a Giant Step," "The Petrified Forest," "Going Down the Road," "Othello," "The Merchant of Venice," "Waiting for Lefty" and "No Time for Sergeants," the latter on Broadway.
Divorced, Hamilton is the father of two - daughter Candy and son Raoul. Bernie lives in a comfortable Tudor-style home in the Wilshire district. He is a collector of antiques and his favorite sport is deep sea fishing.
* This was Bernie Hamilton's biographical information at the time when he portrayed Capt. Harold Dobey in "Starsky & Hutch."
