Kevin Patrick Dobson was born on March 18, 1943, in Queens, New York, to a school janitor father and a homemaker mother. He was one of seven children and grew up in the Jackson Heights area of Queens.
Before pursuing his acting career, Dobson worked as a trainman, brakeman, and conductor for the Long Island Rail Road. He later worked as a waiter and bartender at a restaurant owned by his relatives.
Dobson's early acting career included appearances on daytime soap operas, including "The Doctors" and "One Life to Live". He also appeared in several TV shows, including "The Mod Squad", "The Rookies", and "Ironside".
In the 1970s, Dobson landed a starring role as Detective Bobby Crocker on the TV series "Kojak", which he remained with for five seasons. During this time, he also appeared in several films, including "Midway" and "Stranded".
In the 1980s, Dobson starred in a number of TV movies, including "Transplant", "Orphan Train", and "Hardhat and Legs". He also appeared in several series, including "Shannon" and "Knots Landing", for which he won five Soap Opera Digest Awards.
In the 1990s, Dobson appeared in several TV movies, including "Kojak: It's Always Something" and "Money, Power, Murder". He also appeared in the TV series "F/X: The Series" and "Hawaii Five-0".
In the 2000s, Dobson continued to work in TV and film, appearing in shows such as "Nash Bridges", "Cold Case", and "CSI". He also appeared in several independent films, including "She's No Angel" and "The Representative".
Dobson was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and served twice as chairman of the National Salute To Hospitalized Veterans. He was married to his wife Susan since 1968 and had three children.
Kevin Patrick Dobson passed away on September 6, 2020, at the age of 77, after suffering a heart attack.
