During a half-century cinematic career, George R. Robertson played Chief Hurst (later Commissioner) in the first six Police Academy films. He was 89. His family stated that he died on January 29 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, but provided no other information.
When he was cast as the tough but fair Chief Henry Hurst in Police Academy, the 1984 cop farce starring Steve Guttenberg, Robertson had been working in TV and cinema for nearly 15 years.
The film was a surprise smash, spawning a franchise that spanned seven films over the next decade, including one a year until 1989. He played in the first six games but not the final one in Moscow in 1994.
The films centered on the antics of a bunch of misfit police recruits who were gathered after their city’s freshly elected female mayor declared that the agency must hire everyone who applies. Kim Cattrall, Bubba Smith, Debralee Scott, and Michael Winslow were the co-stars.
Robertson, who was born in Brampton, Ontario, on April 20, 1933, started his career in theater before getting roles in movies in the late 1960s. He appeared as a guest star on several TV shows in the 1970s, including The F.B.I. He then made brief cameos in three Best Picture Oscar nominees: Airport (1970), Norma Rae (1979), and JFK (1991).
George R Robertson’s Wife: Was Police Academy’s Chief Hurst Married?
Yes, Robertson is survived by Adele Robertson, his wife of 61 years, his daughter Sarah Robertson, his grandchildren, stepgrandchildren, and a large number of Robertson’s extended family.