Best remembered for playing Fay Furillo on NBC’s serial police procedural television series Hill Street Blues, Barbara Bosson passed away on Saturday in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. She was 83 years old.
Her son, Jesse Bochco, announced her death in a hospital but stated that the cause was still undetermined.
Best known for her role in the television series Hill Street Blues (1981-1987) and nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards for her performance, Barbara Bosson was an American actress who passed away on February 18, 2023 (Credit: S_Bukley / Shutterstock)
In a tribute on Instagram, he wrote, “More spirit and zest than you could shake a stick at. When she loved you, you felt it without a doubt. If she didn’t, you may well have also known that too. Forever in our hearts. I love you Mama. Barbara “Babs” Bosson Bochco 1939-2023.”
Former NYPD Blue cast member Sharon Lawrence paid tribute to Bosson on social media, writing, “Oh Jessie, I’m so sorry to read this sad news. Your Mom was such special dame- smart, funny, and committed. She and your Dad were great hosts back in the early NYPD Blue days. I admired her dedication to environmental protection so much. I send hope for comfort for your family during this tough and tender time.”
Barbara Bosson, who played Fay Furillo on Hill Street Blues, was born on November 1, 1939, and was 41 years old when the first episode aired on January 15, 1981.
The cast members of Hill Street Blues and their respective roles include René Enríquez as Ray Calletano, Robert Prosky as Hill Street Station Captain Frank Furillo, Veronica Hamel as Joyce Davenport, Daniel J. Travanti as Frank Furillo, Bruce Weitz as Mick Belker, Ed Marinaro as Joe Coffey, Mimi Kuzyk as Chief of Detectives Maria McGuire, Barbara Bosson as Fay Furillo, Robert Hirschfeld, Ken Olin, Kiel Martin as J.D. LaRue, Taurean Blacque as Neal Washington, and James B. Sikking as Lt. Howard Hunter (Credit: MTM Enterprises)
Barbara Bosson was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, on November 1, 1939. In 1968, she received her first acting credit in the Steve McQueen murder drama Bullitt. Bosson had an almost three-decade-long acting career, appearing in multiple TV crime dramas from the 1970s to the 1990s.
She received five consecutive nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Fay Furillo, the ex-wife of police captain Frank Furillo, in Hill Street Blues.
Bosson later received another nomination in 1996 for her performance as Miriam Grasso in the ABC legal thriller Murder One, which depicts the life of renowned lawyer Theodore Hoffman at a Los Angeles law firm.
Barbara Bosson is best known for her portrayal of the vulnerable Fay Furillo on the 1980s NBC television series Hill Street Blues during the show’s first six seasons (Credit: MTM Enterprises)
Along with guest roles in Mannix, Crazy Like a Fox, L.A. Law, Civil Wars, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Bosson’s other acting credits include Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours, Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, Hooperman, Cop Rock, and The Last Starfighter.
She has also written works including Scattering Dad, A Session With the Committee, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
Barbara Bosson attends Treepeople’s “An Evening Under the Harvest Moon” annual gala fundraiser in Burbank, California, on October 13, 2007 (Credit: S_Bukley / Shutterstock)
In 1970, Bosson married Steven Bochco, a television writer and producer who co-created Murder One and Hill Street Blues.
The couple had two children together — a daughter named Melissa and a son named Jesse — before divorcing in 1997. Her ex-husband passed away in 2018 at 74.