'Mod Squad' star Tige Andrews dies at 86

[ABlairican Pie]

MSNBC.com

‘Mod Squad’ star Tige Andrews dies at 86

Actor was proud of role as Capt. Adam Greer on popular detective show


Tige Andrews is shown with "Mod Squad" stars Peggy Lipton, Michael Cole, and Clarence Williams III in this 1968 photo.

The Associated Press
Updated: 7:44 p.m. PT Feb 5, 2007
LOS ANGELES - Tige Andrews, the Emmy-nominated character actor who portrayed Capt. Adam Greer in “The Mod Squad,” has died. He was 86.

Andrews died Jan. 27 of cardiac arrest at his home in the San Fernando Valley, his family said.

The actor often played detectives during his lengthy television career, which spanned five decades and included appearances on more than 60 shows. He was proud of his stint on “The Mod Squad,” a popular TV show that aired during the late 1960s and early 1970s, his daughter said.

“He felt the show made a big difference because it was one of the first television series to address social issues such as drugs, prostitution and teen pregnancy that were more hush-hush before that time,” said Barbara Andrews, one of the actor’s six children.

Tiger Andrews was born March 19, 1920, in Brooklyn, N.Y. His parents, following Syrian custom, named him after a strong animal to ensure good health for their son, his family said.

His mother died when he was 3, and his father, who ran a fruit stand, later remarried. Andrews was wounded while serving in the Army during World War II and, after returning home, graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

In 1955, Andrews appeared in the off-Broadway revival of “The Threepenny Opera.” Later that year, director John Ford cast him in the film version of “Mister Roberts” after seeing his Broadway performance. Family members said Ford was a major influence on Andrews.

The actor’s wife of 46 years, Norma Thornton, died in 1996.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[catlover79]