Iconic TV Cop Dies at 86

Ed Bernard, the familiar face millions of TV fans remember as undercover detective Joe Styles on Police Woman and principal Jim Willis on The White Shadow, has died. He was 86.

Bernard died January 23 in Northridge, California, according to his family.

For many viewers, Bernard was instantly recognizable as one of the steady presences on Police Woman, NBC’s hit ’70s crime drama led by Angie Dickinson as Sgt. “Pepper” Anderson. Bernard played Det. Joe Styles, part of the LAPD undercover unit that clocked 90 episodes across four seasons from 1974 to 1978. His character worked alongside Dickinson, Earl Holliman as Sgt. Bill Crowley, and Charles Dierkop as Det. Pete Royster.

Before Police Woman became his signature TV role, Bernard also appeared on NBC’s Police Story, including the March 1974 episode “The Gamble,” a key installment that effectively helped launch the Police Woman universe.

When Police Woman wrapped, Bernard shifted gears to another major role—this time in a high school gym instead of undercover on the streets.

He joined CBS’ The White Shadow as principal Jim Willis, opposite Ken Howard’s Coach Ken Reeves, a former Chicago Bulls player turned teacher and basketball coach at fictional Carver High School in South Los Angeles. Bernard’s character was written as a former Boston College classmate of Reeves. After two seasons, Willis exited the series to take a job with the Oakland Board of Education, and the show later introduced a new principal for its final season.

Born in Philadelphia on July 4, 1939, Bernard built a career that stretched from stage to film to decades of television.

He appeared off-Broadway in 1969 in Five on the Black Hand Side, working under American Place Theatre artistic director Wynn Handman. Not long after, his movie career took off with a string of gritty, era-defining films: he made his film debut in Gordon Parks’ Shaft (1971), then appeared in Across 110th Street (1972), The Hot Rock (1972), and Together Brothers (1974), where he played Mr. Kool, a beloved neighborhood police officer whose murder shakes the community.

Bernard continued working steadily for years, including a recurring run as Lt. Bill Giles on Hardcastle and McCormick in 1984-85. His TV credits also included appearances on series like Mannix, Kojak, What’s Happening!!, T.J. Hooker, NYPD Blue, JAG, ER, Becker, and Cold Case. He also popped up in the 1983 film Blue Thunder directed by John Badham.

In a statement, Bernard’s family emphasized the person behind the performances.

“While the world knew him as a star, his family knew him as a devoted father, a proud grandfather and a man of deep curiosity,” they said, adding that he was a “foodie” who loved sushi and healthy cooking, a lifelong learner, and “a man of great faith.”

Bernard is survived by his sons, Edward and Mark, and his grandchildren Liz, Joshua, Samantha, and Alexandra. His wife of 44 years, Shirley, died in 2005.

The family noted that donations in his memory can be made to the International Black Theatre Festival.