Hardcastle and McCormick was an American action series that followed the exploits of its two
titular characters as they attempted to enact justice upon criminals that had escaped the
traditional justice system due to legal technicalities.
Though the series was short-lived, it has maintained a cult following since its initial
run.
Sadly, many stars from the series have passed.
Join Facts Verse as we take a look at how each Hardcastle and McCormick cast member
died.
Hardcastle and McCormick began airing on the ABC network in 1983.
The series followed Judge Milton C. “Hardcase” Hardcastle, a judge known for being incredibly
tough on criminals that came into his court.
Milton was preparing to retire, and he found a stack of files left on his desk, documenting
criminals that managed to eschew the long arm of the law due to legal technicalities.
Inspired by the pulp heroes of his youth, Milton then decides that he wants to spend
his retirement tracking these escaped criminals down.
Although Milton has passion and intelligence, he knows that he can’t get the job done
alone.
Enter Mark “Skid” McCormick, a racecar driver that has recently been arrested for
the benevolent theft of his recently deceased best friend’s powerful racecar prototype,
dubbed Coyote-X. Milton sees a lot of promise in Mark, and offers him a deal that he’ll
let the crime slide if he agrees to help him track down the criminals that got off on technicalities.
Mark agrees, and he’s even allowed to keep Coyote-X!
Actor Brian Keith portrayed the character of Judge Milton C. Hardcastle, while actor
Daniel Hugh Kelly portrayed the character of Mark McCormick.
Besides these two, the cast of Hardcastle and McCormick also featured Mary Jackson,
John Hancock, Ed Bernard, and Joe Santos.
Hardcastle and McCormick ran for three seasons, and 67 episodes were produced before its eventual
cancellation in 1986.
Of the main cast members of Hardcastle and McCormick, the only surviving ones are Daniel
Hugh Kelly and Ed Bernard.
The rest of the main cast members have all since passed on.
Now, let’s take a look at how each of these beloved stars passed, as well as what the
two surviving cast members are up to now in their later years!
Brian Keith Over the course of Brian Keith’s six decades
in the entertainment industry, the actor became known for much more than just his role on
Hardcastle and McCormick.
The actor was arguably best known for his work in 1960s cinema, with some of his biggest
films being 1961's The Parent Trap and 1963’s Johnny Shiloh.
In 1975, he was tasked with playing President Theodore Roosevelt in the epic adventure film
The Wind and the Lion.
The actor had already been working in the entertainment industry for several decades
before being cast in Hardcastle and McCormick.
Brian was born in New Jersey on November 14, 1921.
His father was Robert Keith, and he was the one that got Brian his first acting gig.
Before starting acting, Brian attended and graduated from East Rockaway High School.
After graduating in 1939, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served during World
War II as an air gunner.
After returning from the war, Brian made his debut on Broadway alongside his father in
1948’s Mister Roberts.
From there, he began working on television, with one of the shows that he was featured
on being Hands of Mystery.
It was in 1957 that Brian got his break on the big screen, acting in the 1957 feature
Dino alongside Sal Mineo.
From there, he received top billing in the 1957 feature Chicago Confidential.
He also took on further supporting roles in the features Hell Canyon Outlaws and Fort
Dobbs.
In 1959, Keith appeared alongside Paul Neman in The Young Philadelphians and then began
working with Disney.
Keith got his biggest role on television yet with his starring turn on the short-lived
cult classic Sam Peckinpah series The Westerner, which premiered in 1960.
From there, he was given a notable role on the series Family Affair in 1966.
Later on, he was given his own sitcom on NBC titled The Brian Keith Show, though it was
canceled in 1974 after only being on the air for a total of two seasons.
Brian had been through quite a bit as an actor by the time he was offered the role of Hardcastle
on Hardcastle and McCormick.
The actor’s last film was 1997’s Rough Riders, which was directed by eccentric conservative
filmmaker John Milius.
Brian was married three times over the course of his life and had several children.
He ended up committing suicide in 1997, after finding out that he was suffering from emphysema.
In 2008, he was given his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Mary Jackson The next deceased Hardcastle and McCormick
cast member that we'll be taking a look at is Mary Jackson, the actress who played the
character of Sarah Wicks.
Besides her time on Hardcastle and McCormick, Mary was known for her time on the television
series The Waltons and Days of Our Lives.
Mary was born in Michigan on November 22, 1910.
She graduated from college in 1932 and worked for a period of time as a schoolteacher during
the Great Depression.
During these years, Mary began developing an interest in theater.
She went back to college and enrolled in a fine arts program, and the rest is history!
She began performing theater in Chicago before deciding to head out to New York City in the
1950s in hopes of striking it in big on television.
After arriving in New York City, Mary began finding work on television.
In the 1960s, she worked her way up to film.
Eventually, she found her way onto the set of Hardcastle and McCormick, turning in one
of the most memorable performances of her career as Sarah Wicks.
She died of Parkinson’s disease shortly after her 95th birthday.
John Hancock John Hancock portrayed the character of Lt.
Michael Delaney.
Besides his time on Hardcastle and McCormick, the actor was perhaps best known for portraying
the character of Scotty on the miniseries Roots: The Next Generation.
John could also be seen in a variety of other television series, including Diff’rent Strokes,
Family Ties, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
He died of a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles in 1992.
Joe Santos Joe Santos is another actor that played a
lieutenant on Hardcastle and McCormick, with his character being Lt. Frank Harper.
Besides Lt. Frank Harper, Joe was perhaps better known for playing a lieutenant on another
show: The Rockford Files.
On The Rockford Files, Joe portrayed the character of Sgt.
Dennis Becker, who was the friend of series main character James Garner.
Later in the series, the character was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
Joe was born in Brooklyn on June 9, 1931.
On the same day that the child was born, his father passed away.
His mother was strong enough to provide for her family without him and became a nightclub
owner in New York City.
She eventually got remarried to a man by the name of Daniel Santos.
After playing football during college and serving in the Korean War, Joe worked several
menial jobs before becoming interested in acting.
He was a friend of actor Al Pacino, and Al helped him get a role in the 1971 feature
The Panic in Needle Park.
From there, Joe had a fairly consistent career in the entertainment industry leading up to
his being cast in Hardcastle and McCormick.
In the years since, Joe could be seen in several episodes of The Sopranos, though he died a
few days after suffering a heart attack in 2016.
Daniel Hugh Kelly Those are all the main cast members from Hardcastle
and McCormick that have passed away, but what about the surviving ones?
Of course, the most important surviving cast member from the show is Daniel Hugh Kelly,
who portrayed the character of Mark “Skid” McCormick.
The actor is currently 69 years old, having been born in 1952.
After graduating from college, Daniel began performing on the stage.
From there, he wound up getting some roles on daytime television, such as on the show
Ryan’s Hope.
On that series, he portrayed the character of Senator Frank Ryan for several years, with
his time on the show coming to an end in 1981.
Shortly after this, he was cast as one of the title characters on Hardcastle and McCormick.
In more recent years, Daniel has continued appearing on television with a recurring role
As the World Turns, as well as several guest-starring roles on various primetime series.
Some of the more notable series that Daniel has guest-starred on since appearing on Hardcastle
and McCormick include Law & Order, Supernatural, and The West Wing.
Ed Bernard Finally, Ed Bernard is the second and last
remaining main cast member from Hardcastle and McCormick that’s still with us.
Besides his role on Hardcastle and McCormick, Ed was also known for portraying the character
of Detective Joe Styles on the series Police Woman.
Ed’s time on that series lasted from 1974 to 1978.
Between Police Woman and Hardcastle and McCormick, Ed could be seen on the series The White Shadow.
In recent years, Ed hasn’t been in much.
However, those anxious to see more of him can check out his guest appearances on shows
like Kojak and Becker.
Outro: While Hardcastle and McCormick continue to
live on in the minds of fans, many of its cast members have passed away.
Comment down below to share if you were saddened to learn about the deaths of any of the show's
aforementioned main cast members or if you were glad to hear that a few of them are still
around!
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