Kojak and Knots Landing actor Kevin Dobson died from a heart attack on Sunday, September 7, 2020. He was 77 years old.

Dobson starred as Detective Bobby Crocker on Kojak from 1973 to ’78. He followed that up with starring in the soap opera Knots Landing as M. Patrick “Mack” Mackenzie from ’82 to ’93. For his work on the show, Dobson won five Soap Opera Digest Awards, including for Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role on Primetime.

Dobson was born on March 18, 1943 in Jackson Heights, NY. He spent seven years in the US Army and worked as a conductor on the Long Island Rail Road. It was at that point that he began acting, using his military experience to create his character on Kojak.

Prior to that show, he did guest spots on Mod Squad, Police Story, and Captain Kangaroo. After 291 episodes of Knots Landing, Dobson appeared on Touched by an Angel, The Commish, Nash Bridges, and had recurring roles on other soaps like The Bold and the Beautiful and Days of Our Lives. Some of his later roles were on CSI, Hawaii Five-0, House of Lies, and Anger Management.