George R. Robertson, Police Academy Star, Dead at 89

02/03/2023 04:55 pm EST

George R. Robertson has passed away at age 89. The beloved Canadian actor had 80 film and television credits to his name, but he was best known for playing Chief Hurnst in the Police Academy films. According to an announcement from Robertson's family, he died on January 29 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. 

"He leaves a legacy of many accomplishments – a splendid career in stage, films, and TV with over 80 roles on both the big and small screen, most notably the original and six sequels of Police Academy. He began his career on the stage and worked successfully in the industry for the next 60 plus years. He was honoured to win the 1993 Margaret Collier Award, awarded by the CBC, as best Canadian Writer for his outstanding body of work on film or tv and the 19th Annual Gemini Award – Humanitarian of the Year in 2004," his family's announcement reads. 

Robertson's very first film role was an uncredited part in Rosemary's Baby. He went on to appear in many television shows, including The F.B.I, The Twilight Zone, War of the Worlds, Leap Years, and Haven. His film roles included Paperback Hero, Norma Rae, Deceived, JFK, National Lampoon's Senior Trip, Murder at 1600, and Crossfire. 

He also appeared in many TV films, including The Mad Trapper, F.D.R.: The Last Year, The High Price of Passion, Hitler's Daughter, The Good Fight, Dancing in the Dark, Hiroshima, Devil's Food, We Were the Mulvaneys, The Pentagon Papers, The Reagans, and more. His final role was in the TV movie Cradle to Grave which was released in 2017. 

However, it's Robertson's role as Chief Hurnst that most fans will remember him from. He appeared in the first Police Academy in 1984 and went on to reprise his role for the next five movies. The only one he did not appear in was the seventh installment because it required going to Moscow, but he did appear in an episode of Police Academy: The Series in 1998. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Robertson earned his master's degree in business in 1959 at New York's Columbia University before beginning an acting career on the stage. Robertson leaves behind his wife of 61 years, Adele; daughter, Sarah Robertson (Steve Pulver); Ellen Robertson (Mitch Aidelman), grandchildren Julia and William; step-grandchildren, Ariel, Gabe, Maddie and Josh, as well as many dear nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews and sister-in-law, Elizabeth Sweatt. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

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