Canadian actor George R. Robertson reportedly passed away in Toronto earlier today. He was 89.
Robertson was best known as Chief and then later Commissioner Henry Hurst in the first six highly successful “Police Academy” films, appearing in various scenes alongside other memorable characters like George Gaynes’ Commandant Eric Lassard and G. W. Bailey’s Captain Harris.
Yet he also had the distinction of appearing in three features nominated for Best Picture with small roles in Oliver Stone’s “JFK,” George Seaton’s “Airport,” and Martin Ritt’s “Norma Rae”.
He also had an uncredited part in Roman Polanski’s hit satanic thriller “Rosemary’s Baby,” and played Belgian billionaire Maurice Tempelsman in the TV movie “America’s Prince: The JFK, Jr. Story”.
He had a knack for playing politicians with roles such as Senator J. William Fulbright in “The Pentagon Papers”, presidential hopeful Barry Goldwater in “The Reagans,” Vice President Dick Cheney in the ABC mini-series “The Path to 9/11,” and General Leslie R. Groves in “FDR: The Last Year”.
Other film roles included “Murder at 1600,” “U-Turn,” “Marooned,” “Paperback Hero,” “Deceived,” “The Boys Next Door,” “Power Play,” “The Amateur,” “Murder by Phone,” “National Lampoon’s Senior Trip” and “Still Mine”.
Robertson also often took part in humanitarian efforts, famously walking the 328-mile length of southwest France to raise money for an orphanage in Thailand. In character as Chief Hurst, he traveled across Canada speaking to high school kids as a UNICEF ambassador.
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Source: The Globe & Mail, THR
