Ed Bernard, a familiar face to classic TV fans and a series regular on Police Woman and The White Shadow, has died.
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His death at 86 on January 23 was announced on Facebook, according to Deadline. A cause of death was not disclosed.
“While the world knew him as a star, his family knew him as a devoted father, a proud grandfather, and a man of deep curiosity,” his family’s statement reads. “Ed was a true ‘foodie’ who loved sushi and healthy cooking, a lifelong learner, and a man of great faith. He is now reunited with his beloved wife of 44 years, Shirley Mae Bernard, who passed in 2005.”
Bernard, born in Philadelphia on July 4, 1939, made his film debut in 1971’s Shaft. In the film, he played Peerce, a Harlem militant who helps the title character, portrayed by Richard Roundtree. He quickly landed other film roles, appearing in The Hot Rock (1972) and Across 110th Street (1972).
However, Bernard left his mark on the small screen. According to IMDb, his TV credits in the ’70s included roles in series such as Cool Million, Love Story, Mannix, and Kojak.
Ed Bernard Lands His Signature Roles
Bernard appeared in four episodes of NBC’s Police Story between 1973 and 1974. One of these episodes, “The Gamble” (1974), also functioned as a backdoor pilot for the hit spinoff Police Woman.
Police Woman featured Angie Dickinson as Sgt. Suzanne “Pepper” Anderson, an undercover cop assigned to the criminal conspiracy unit of the LAPD. Bernard played Detective Joe Styles, a key member of her team on the vice squad. The show premiered on NBC in September 1974 and ran for four seasons until the summer of 1978.
However, immediately after Police Woman ended its run on NBC in 1978, Bernard landed his next major role. He was cast as a series regular for the first two seasons of the CBS show The White Shadow. In the series, Bernard played Principal Jim Willis, who recruits his former college friend and ex-NBA player, Ken Reeves (Ken Howard), to coach basketball at the inner-city Carver High School in Los Angeles.
With writing from Steven Bochco and others, the acclaimed dramedy tackled many of the social issues of the time. Following several changes to its time slot, the series was canceled in 1981 after a three-season run.
Meanwhile, throughout the 1980s and into the early 2000s, Bernard appeared in episodes of shows like T.J. Hooker, Amen, Doogie Howser, M.D., Suddenly Susan, JAG, Becker, ER, and Cold Case.
Bernard is survived by his sons, Edward Brian and Mark Sheldon Bernard; his grandchildren, Liz, Joshua, Samantha, and Alexandra; and other extended family.