Charles Haid (Actor)

This burly character player of stage, screen, and TV is best known as Officer Andy Renko on Steven Bochco's acclaimed and innovative police drama "Hill Street Blues" (NBC, 1981-87). Haid effectively embodied a short-tempered but basically sympathetic good ol' boy uneasily adjusting to being a cop in a large city. He has tended to fare well playing Southerners and working class professionals. Haid has also worked as a TV producer and director. In the former capacity, he oversaw one of Bochco's more notable failures--the musical cop show "Cop Rock" (ABC, 1990). As a director, he frequently helmed episodes of several Bochco shows including "Doogie Howser, M.D.", "L.A. Law" and "NYPD Blue". Haid segued to feature direction with "Iron Will" (1994), a rugged adventure set in the 1917 about a dog-sled marathon.

Haid enjoyed his first success in showbiz as the producer of the musical "Godspell" which was then the senior project of classmate Stephen Schwartz (who went on to write the lyrics for Disney's "Pocahontas"). He went on to co-produce the NY production which inaugurated the worldwide hit. Haid also gained extensive acting experience on stage before segueing to TV and films in the 1970s. His notable feature credits include supporting roles in "Altered States" (1980), as a cranky scientist, "Cop" (1988), as a corrupt officer, and "Nightbreed" (1990), as a monster-hating sheriff. Haid has also appeared in numerous TV-movies, guest shots, and specials.