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. If you're enjoying this video so far, be sure
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way! 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! As always, like this video to show your support,
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