Charles Haid

Charles Haid, born Charles Maurice Haid III on June 2, 1943 in San Francisco, California, emerged from a culturally rich background of Dutch (originally Van Heidt) and Irish ancestry. The son of Grace Marian (née Folger) and Charles Maurice Haid Jr., he attended Palo Alto High School before enrolling at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), where he forged a pivotal friendship with future television visionary Steven Bochco. While still a student, Haid contributed as associate producer to the groundbreaking stage production of Godspell in 1971, showcasing an early blend of performance and production sensibilities. After graduating, he entered the television landscape of the 1970s with roles such as Sgt. Paul Schonski on Delvecchio, steadily building a reputation for portraying solid, dependable characters. His breakthrough arrived with the seminal NBC drama Hill Street Blues, where he embodied Officer Andy Renko from 1981 to 1987, a role that cemented his status as a recognizable face of American cop shows and earned him a devoted fan base. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Haid diversified his portfolio with memorable film parts, including Dr. Mason Parrish in Altered States (1980) and the compassionate physician “Fats” in The House of God (1984), as well as voice work like the one‑legged rabbit Lucky Jack in Disney’s Home on the Range (2004). In addition to acting, Haid cultivated a distinguished directing career, piloting episodes of critically acclaimed series such as ER—for which he received a Directors Guild Award—NYPD Blue, Nip/Tuck, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, and Criminal Minds, where he also appeared as the chilling serial killer Randall Garner. His versatile contributions behind the camera, coupled with his enduring on‑screen presence, have made him a respected veteran of both television and film, influencing successive generations of actors and directors alike.