Scott Hylands, Night Heat Star, Dies at 83
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- Scott Hylands died Wednesday, July 29, at age 83, with the news confirmed by his cinematographer son Luke Hylands in an Instagram post calling his father his "forever hero and best friend."
- Hylands was born Feb. 27, 1943 in Lethbridge, Alberta, raised in British Columbia, and initially studied zoology at the University of British Columbia before switching to theater arts.
- Hylands made his off-Broadway debut in 1965 as the lead in Billy Liar, then performed with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before his screen debut in Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969).
- Hylands starred as Detective Kevin "OB" O'Brien on the CTV/CBS police crime drama Night Heat from 1985 to 1989, and later recurred as Father Travis on ABC's V (2009-2011).
- Hylands built a decades-long résumé of guest roles on NYPD Blue, The X-Files, Stargate SG-1, Supernatural, Fargo, Hart to Hart and Wonder Woman, plus films including Earthquake (1974) and The Boys in Company "C" (1978).
- Hylands is survived by wife Veronica, son Luke and daughter Rebecca; The Hollywood Reporter was first to report his death.
Why it matters: Scott Hylands anchored Night Heat, one of the earlier CTV/CBS co-productions that helped establish cross-border Canadian-American crime drama. His career — a steady pipeline of guest spots on U.S. hits like The X-Files and Fargo alongside recurring work in Canadian TV — illustrates how Canadian-trained character actors quietly built lasting bridges between the two industries.
