George R. Robertson, who played police-chief-turned-commissioner Henry Hurst in the first six “Police Academy” films, died Sunday at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. He was 89.
Born April 20, 1933, in Brampton, Ontario, Robertson boasts 80 acting credits, including portraying former Vice President Dick Cheney in “The Path To 9/11” and the late US Sen. Barry Goldwater in “The Reagans.”
He excelled in football and hockey growing up in Canada and eventually moved to NYC, where he earned his MBA at Columbia University in 1959, according to his online obituary. It was there that he met Adele Probst, who became his wife of 61 years.
Advertisement
Advertisement
His career began on the stage, and he landed small roles in three films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: “Airport” (1970); “Norma Rae” (1979); and “JFK” (1991).
His family also noted his humanitarian efforts. He walked the length of southwest France, about 330 miles, to raise money for an orphanage in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the obituary stated.
As Police Chief Hurst, Robertson traveled across Canada speaking to youth in high schools — earning the Danny Kaye UNICEF Canada award in 1990.
His last on-screen role was in the TV movie “Cradle to Grave” in 2017. His later life was devoted to painting and writing, his family said.
He is survived by his daughters, Sarah Robertson (wife of Steve Pulver) and Ellen Robertson (Mitch Aidelman); grandchildren, Julia and William; and step-grandchildren, Ariel, Gabe, Maddie and Josh.