CAIRO – 10 November 2017: John Hillerman of Magnum PI fame has passed away at the age of 84 on Thursday, November 9. His publicist broke the news out on social media, according to BBC, and stated the actor died of natural causes in his home at Texas.
Hillerman was born on December 20, 1932 in Texas. Starting on the stage, he later headed to Washington, DC to pursue his acting career, where he landed his first iconic role in the 1972 movie “They Call Me Mister Tibbs!” his big screen debut. It was his part in the television series Magnum PI that saw him shine.
Here he portrayed Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, or Higgins, a supporting character who was a former army sergeant turned real estate owner who had to contend with the shenanigans of Thomas Magnum, played by Tom Selleck, a naval officer who now masquerades as a private detective in Hawaii.
Despite Hillerman’s roots in Texas, Higgins the character came from Britain, a fact that did not stop the actor from portraying him so convincingly that various audiences’ members assumed he really was British. His time on Magmum PI was his favorite performance of all, and the role singlehandedly win him several Emmy and Golden Globe awards and nominations.
Hillerman’s final on-screen performance was the 1996 comedy film A Very Brady Sequel. On Twitter, fans and co-stars of Hillerman expressed their sorrow over his death, including radio host Larry Manetti, Hillerman’s close friend and co-star who played bartender Orville "Rick" Wright on Magnum PI.
I am deeply saddened by the loss of my good friend John Hillerman. My thoughts and prayers are with his family as they mourn this loss. pic.twitter.com/5PM4gXqolt
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