Taurean Blacque, born Herbert Middleton Jr, was an American television and stage actor, best known for his role as Detective Neal Washington on the series Hill Street Blues.
He stated that he chose the name “Taurean” because his astrological sign is Taurus.
He was a one-time national spokesman for adoptive services.
Blacque was a born-again Christian and his faith influenced his desire to be involved with adoption.
Blacque is a native of Newark, New Jersey.
Before appearing on television, Blacque trained and performed at the New Federal Theatre in New York, a theater founded to provide opportunities to minorities and women.
Early in his acting career, Blacque began making guest appearances in sitcoms such as What’s Happening!!, Sanford and Son, The Bob Newhart Show, The Tony Randall Show, Good Times, and Taxi, and auditioned for permanent roles on others, including Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati, eventually played by Tim Reid.
Blacque initially was asked to serve as spokesman for the County of Los Angeles Adoption Services office though he had no adoptive children at the time.
Upon looking into adoption, he claims he was told that because he was single, he was not eligible to adopt. However, he pressed on, eventually adopting ten children, in addition to the two sons he already had.
In 1989 he was asked by President George H. W. Bush to serve as a national spokesman for adoption
What was Taurean Blacque Cause of death?
Taurean Blacque’s family announced in a statement Thursday that Blaque died in Atlanta following a brief illness.
The exact cause of death was not disclosed by his family.
Taurean Blacque Cause of death