Paul Michael Glaser

Biography

Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor, director, and author best known for his iconic role as Detective Dave Starsky in the 1970s television series Starsky & Hutch. Over the course of his career, he has successfully transitioned from acting to directing and writing, earning respect across multiple areas of the entertainment industry.

Early Life and Education

Paul Michael Glaser was born on March 25, 1943, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Raised in a Jewish household, he developed an early interest in performance and storytelling.

He attended Tulane University, where he studied English and theatre, and later earned a Master’s degree in fine arts from Boston University. His formal training in theatre provided a solid foundation for his work on stage and screen.

Breakthrough: Starsky & Hutch

Glaser rose to international fame for his role in:

Starsky & Hutch

Airing from 1975 to 1979, the series followed two streetwise detectives solving crimes in a fictional California city. Glaser’s portrayal of the intense and emotional Detective Dave Starsky, alongside David Soul’s more reserved Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson, became a defining television partnership of the era.

The show’s popularity made Glaser a household name and cemented his place in pop culture history.

Film and Television Career

Following his success on television, Glaser appeared in several films and TV projects, gradually expanding his career beyond acting.

He later moved into directing, working on episodes of popular television series such as:

Miami Vice

Judging Amy

Third Watch

As a film director, he is known for:

The Running Man, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger

His direction of The Running Man, a dystopian action film, demonstrated his versatility and ability to handle large-scale productions.

Personal Life and Advocacy

Paul Michael Glaser’s personal life has been marked by both tragedy and resilience. His first wife, Elizabeth Glaser, contracted HIV through a blood transfusion and later passed the virus to their children. After her death, Glaser became an advocate for AIDS awareness and research.

He has been actively involved with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which works to prevent and treat pediatric HIV/AIDS worldwide.

Author and Later Work

In addition to acting and directing, Glaser has worked as a writer. His creative interests extend beyond screen performance into literature and visual arts, reflecting a lifelong commitment to storytelling.