David Soul - Career

Career

Soul first gained attention as the "Covered Man" appearing on The Merv Griffin Show in 1966 & 1967, on which he sang while wearing a mask. He explained: "My name is David Soul, and I want to be known for my music." The same year, he made his television debut in Flipper.

In 1967 he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and following a number of guest appearances, including the episode "The Apple" from the second season of Star Trek, he landed the role of Joshua Bolt on the television program Here Come the Brides with co-stars Robert Brown, Bobby Sherman and Bridget Hanley. The series was telecast on the ABC network from September 25, 1968 to September 18, 1970. In 1972 he co-starred as Arthur Hill's law partner on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law. Following numerous episodic guest starring television roles including Streets of San Francisco, he was cast by Clint Eastwood in the film Magnum Force.

His breakthrough came when he portrayed Det. Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson on Starsky and Hutch, a role he played from 1975-79. Throughout his career, he has also made guest appearances on shows such as Star Trek, I Dream of Jeannie, McMillan & Wife, Cannon, Gunsmoke, All in the Family, and numerous TV movies and mini-series including Homeward Bound (1980), World War III and Rage (1980) a TV movie commended on the floor of the US Senate and for which he received an Emmy Award nomination. Soul also starred with James Mason in the 1979 TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot, which was also edited and released as a theatrical feature film in some countries.

During the mid- to late-1970s, Soul returned to his singing roots. Produced by Tony Macaulay, he recorded such hits as "Don't Give Up on Us" (1976) which reached number one in the US and the UK, and "Silver Lady" (1977) which also topped the charts in the UK. Between 1976-78, he had five UK Top 20 singles and two Top 10 albums. From 1976 to 1982 he toured extensively in the US, Europe, Far East and South America.

In the United States, he continued to make guest appearances in various television series. He starred in the short-lived, 1983 NBC series Casablanca, playing nightclub owner Rick Blaine (the part made famous by Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 film Casablanca), and co-starred in the NBC series The Yellow Rose during the 1983-1984 season. He also starred in the television adaptation of Ken Follett's wartime drama The Key to Rebecca (1985) directed by David Hemmings. He later starred as the infamous Florida robber Michael Platt in the TV film In the Line of Duty: The FBI Murders (1988), which depicted the 1986 FBI Miami shootout and which was subsequently used as an FBI training film. Soul also directed the episode "No Exit" of the 1980s TV series Miami Vice.

In the mid 1990s, Soul moved to London, forging a new career on the West End stage including the role of Chandler Tate in Comic Potential. He also participated in the successful 1997 election campaign of Martin Bell who ran as an MP for Tatton, as well as Bell's unsuccessful campaign in Brentwood in Essex in the 2001 General Election.

In 2003, Soul appeared (as himself) in the first series of the BBC's Little Britain. In 2004, he appeared in Agatha Christie's Poirot - Death on the Nile in the role of Andrew Pennington (he had also starred in the 1989 film adaptation of Christie's Appointment with Death). He had a brief cameo in the 2004 film version of Starsky & Hutch, alongside original co-star Paul Michael Glaser.

On 12 July 2004, he took over playing the role of Jerry Springer in Jerry Springer - The Opera at the Cambridge Theatre in London, which was televised by the BBC in 2005. He returned to the West End in 2006, playing Mack in a new production of Jerry Herman's musical Mack and Mabel at the Criterion Theatre. The production co-starred Janie Dee and was directed by John Doyle.

In August 2008, Soul appeared in the reality TV talent show-themed television series Maestro on BBC Two.

He also appeared in the TV series Dalziel & Pascoe (Game of Soldiers) in 2004 and was a guest on the BBC's Top Gear. Soul proved to be one of the fastest drivers to have appeared on the show, but managed to break the car's gearbox (and subsequently that of the backup car) very close to the finish.

He appeared with Fred Ward and Willem Dafoe in the film Farewell directed by Christian Carion which received its US release in 2010.

In 2010 and 2011, Soul appeared as the narrator on the BBC Radio 4 series iGod.

In 2012, David Soul was featured in the hit album by "Fosseytango" singing on the track "Landlord" (featuring Jimmy Page, on guitar).

On 29 July 2012, Soul appeared in an episode of the British detective drama series Lewis, playing a murder victim.