Barbara Bosson (November 1, 1939 – February 18, 2023) was an American actress and writer. She is best known for her roles in the television series Hill Street Blues (1981–1986) and Murder One (1995–1997), for both of which she received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Early life
Bosson was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, to a tennis coach father, and raised in the nearby coal-mining town of Belle Vernon. She and her family moved to Florida, and she graduated from Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport in 1957. In 1978 she was regular cast member in the short-lived detective drama series, Richie Brockelman, Private Eye. She later had a recurring role in the legal drama Civil Wars and guest-starred on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (in episode "Rivals" as Roana), and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. From 1995 to 1997, Bosson starred as tough prosecutor Miriam Grasso in the ABC legal drama series, Murder One, which earned her an additional Emmy Award nomination.
thumb|[[Steven Bochco and Bosson in 1994]]
Personal life and death
In 1970, Bosson married writer-producer Steven Bochco, who created several of the series in which she starred, including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Murder One, and Cop Rock. The couple had two children before divorcing in 1997.
Bosson died in Los Angeles on February 18, 2023, at the age of 83.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1968 || Bullitt || Nurse || Uncredited
|-
| 1969 || The Love God? || Minor || Uncredited
|-
|1969
|Where It's At
| The Committee
|
|-
|1969
|A Session with the Committee
|The Committee
|Also writer
|-
| 1974 || Mame || Emily ||
|-
| 1978 || Capricorn One || Alva Leacock ||
|-
| 1978 || Operating Room || Unknown || Television movie
|-
|1983
|Imps*
|Pam
|
|-
| 1984 || Calendar Girl Murders || Nancy || Television movie
|-
| 1984 || The Last Starfighter || Jane Rogan ||
|-
| 1985 || Hostage Flight || Roberta Spooner || Television movie
|-
| 1986 || The Education of Allison Tate || Lisa Stubbs ||
|-
| 1989 || Little Sweetheart || Mrs. Davies ||
|-
| 1998 || Scattering Dad || || Writer, Television movie
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1969 || Mannix || Miss Riley || S3-Episode 05: "A Question of Midnight"
|-
| 1972 || Longstreet || Unknown || Episode: "The Sound of Money Talking"
|-
| 1972 || Emergency! || Mrs. Collins || Episode: "Saddled"
|-
| 1972 || Alias Smith and Jones || Mrs. Schwedes || Episode: "The Ten Days That Shook Kid Curry"
|-
| 1973 || Griff || Zena || Episode: "Countdown to Terror"
|-
| 1974 || McMillan & Wife || Della Wheatley || Episode: "Downshift to Danger"
|-
| 1975 || Sunshine || Mrs. Cox || Episode: "Father Nature"
|-
| 1976 || McMillan & Wife || Nurse Roz Beach || Episode: "The Deadly Cure"
|-
| 1976 || Delvecchio || Nancy Travis || Episode: "Board of Rights"
|-
| 1978 || Richie Brockelman, Private Eye || Sharon Diederson || 6 episodes
|-
| 1981–1985 || Hill Street Blues || Fay Furillo || 100 episodes<br>Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series <small>(1981–85)</small>
|-
| 1986 || Crazy Like a Fox || Unknown || Episode: "A Fox at the Races"
|-
| 1986 || L.A. Law || Stacey Gill || 2 episodes
|-
| 1986 || The New Mike Hammer || Mrs. Wayne || Episode: "Requiem for Billy"
|-
| 1987 || ABC Afterschool Special || Donna Crandall || Episode: "Supermom's Daughter"
|-
| 1987–1989 || Hooperman || Captain C.Z. Stern || 42 episodes
|-
| 1988 || Hotel || Sydney Page || Episode: "Contest of Wills"
|-
| 1988 || Murder, She Wrote || Diane Raymond || Episode: "Wearing of the Green"
|-
| 1990 || Cop Rock || Mayor Louise Plank || 10 episodes
|-
| 1992–1993 || Civil Wars || Judge Babyak || 3 episodes
|-
| 1994 || Star Trek: Deep Space Nine || Roana || Episode: "Rivals"
|-
| 1994 || NYPD Blue || Miriam Davis || Episode: "Simone Says"
|-
| 1995–1997 || Murder One || Miriam Grasso || 41 episodes<br>Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series<br>Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
|-
| 1995 || Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman || Dr. Friskin || 2 episodes
|-
| 1997 || Total Security || Pamela Chapin || Episode: "Evasion of the Body Snatchers"
|-
|}
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominated work
! class="wikitable unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1981
| 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards
| rowspan="6" | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
| rowspan="5" | Hill Street Blues
|
|-
| 1982
| 34th Primetime Emmy Awards
|
|-
| 1983
| 35th Primetime Emmy Awards
|
|-
| 1984
| 36th Primetime Emmy Awards
|
|-
| 1985
| 37th Primetime Emmy Awards
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1996
| 48th Primetime Emmy Awards
| rowspan="3" | Murder One
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | Viewers for Quality Television
| rowspan="2" | Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series
|
|-
| 1997
|
|}