'Rockford Files' Star Joe Santos Dies at 84

The star's career spanned forty years

By People Staff
Published on March 18, 2016 02:50PM EDT
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Photo: NBC/Getty

Joe Santos, who starred as Lt. Dennis Becker in The Rockford Files, has died, his agent confirmed to PEOPLE. He was 84.

His son Perry told TMZ that his father suffered a heart attack at home in Los Angeles Wednesday and died Friday morning in a Santa Monica hospital, where he had been on life support.

Santos earned an Emmy nomination for his work on NBC’s The Rockford Files, where he appeared in 112 episodes from 1974–1980, with his character Lt. Dennis Becker serving as the friend to private investigator Jim Rockford (James Garner). He was known for playing cops on other shows such as Magnum, P.I. and Hardcastle and McCormick.

His most recent credits include a 2004 run on The Sopranos and a role in the 2015 film Chronic.