The actor, who was best known for his role as Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson on the series “Starsky & Hutch,” died on Thursday.
His wife, Helen Snell, announced the news in a statement, saying that he passed away “after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family.”
“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she added.
“His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Soul suffered from a medley of health issues throughout his life, such as cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The buddy cop drama aired from 1975 to 1979 and he starred alongside Paul Michael Glaser as David Michael Starsky.
In February 2023, a reboot of the series with two females as the infamous police partners was announced.
However, Soul penned on X (formerly known as Twitter) at the time that he and Glaser, 80, should be the leads instead.
“Every article mentions the ‘original’ actors by name. So why not just reboot Paul and me — as a couple of old farts solving piddly-ass crimes at the assisted living facility where we would now live? Who can do ‘Starsky and Hutch’ better than him and me?” he wrote.
Glaser then quipped in his replies section: “If you’re going to describe me as an ‘old fart,’ Please leave ‘old’ out of it.”
He even sat in the director’s chair for a brief time, directing three episodes of “Starsky & Hutch.”
Soul’s other iconic roles included Joshua Bolt on “Here Come the Brides” and Officer John Davis in “Magnum Force.”
He even dabbled in the music business and recorded hits including “Don’t Give Up on Us” in 1976 and “Silver Lady” in 1977.
Soul grew up in Chicago and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
He began his acting career in the 1960s by appearing on stage and was a founding member of the Firehouse Theater in Minneapolis.
In 1966, he earned critical acclaim by starring as the “Covered Man” on “The Merv Griffin Show.”
He later made memorable guest spots on iconic TV series such as “Star Trek,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “McMillan & Wife,” “Cannon, “Gunsmoke” and “All in the Family.”
In the 1990s, he made the move to England, where he wanted to pursue his dream of being on the West End.
His famous roles on the London stage included Chandler Tate in “Comic Potential,” playing the Narrator in “Blood Brothers” and portraying Jerry Springer in “Jerry Springer — The Opera.”
In 2004, he scored British citizenship and explained at the time why he decided to obtain a foreign passport.
He scribed an essay for the Independent and said: “Six weeks in London turned into six months, turned into six years, turned into residency, and now into citizenship.”
“For me, playing in the West End (as so many American actors do) was never going to be just a ‘feather’ I could take back to Hollywood and wave to say: ‘Hey, I’m a real actor now, I played in the London theatre.’ No — I found a home,” he gushed.
“So, why UK citizenship? Well, it wasn’t about the weather, that’s for sure,” Soul continued. “Getting UK citizenship was more an accident looking for a place to happen. I found it here.”
The “Salem’s Lot” star wrote that there was “no one event or decision that inspired me to become a citizen; rather, a simple desire to belong.”
“Sure, Hollywood gave me a career, and for that I will always be grateful, but LA also burnt me out.”
Soul was married five times, and was arrested for battery and for attacking former wife Patti Carnel Sherman in the 1980s. Charges against him were dropped after he underwent a probation program.
He wed Snell in 2010 after meeting her eight years prior.
Soul is survived by Snell and his six children — five sons and a daughter.
