American actor David Soul, who rose to fame with the hit series ‘Starsky & Hutch’, died Thursday in London at the age of 80, said his wife, Helen Snell. “David Soul, beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother, died yesterday after a brave battle for life in the beloved company of his family“Snell said today in a statement.

“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as an actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. Your smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered for many people whose lives he has touched,” the wife stressed. In the famous series of the late 70s, Soul shared the spotlight with actor Paul Michael Glaser in the role of detective Dave Starsky, but he was also known for his performances in ‘Magnum Force’ and ‘The Yellow Rose’.

Born in the American city of Chicago on August 28, 1943 as David Solberg, the actor spent his childhood between South Dakota and Berlin. His father, Richard Solberg, professor of History and Political Science, moved to Berlin, where he was religious affairs advisor to a United States commission. Soul, who acquired British nationality in 2004, was also a singer and had a participation in ‘Flipper’, the famous series from the 60s that had a dolphin as the protagonist.

He also starred in several British television shows including ‘Holby City’, ‘Little Britain’ and ‘Lewis’. Married up to five times, Soul was arrested in the 1980s for assaulting his wife at the time, Patti Carnel Sherman, who was seven months pregnant at the time. The charges against him were dropped after completing a rehabilitation program. Later, the actor publicly expressed his regret and went to visit prisons to talk to inmates about sexist violence.