Martin Miller, who was best known for his iconic role in "Route 66" and "Adam-12," has died on Sept. 6, Sunday. He was 83.
The veteran actor died due to heart failure, while being surrounded by his family at his home in Carlsbad, California, his wife told New York Times.
Born in Michigan, Miller spent his childhood days in Seattle, where he first became involved in acting. Although he landed his first movie role at the age of 18 with a minor role in "Sands Of Iwo Jima," starring John Wayne, he shot to fame in 1960 when he co-starred in the iconic TV drama "Route 66," along with George Maharis.
The TV series ran successfully from 1960 to 1964 in which Miller played Tod Stiles, a restless young man who wandered the country with his buddy in a Corvette convertible, meeting new people, taking odd jobs and helping local people with their struggles.
The show was said to be inspired from Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road" and reflected the reflecting the rise of American car culture and the interstate highway system.
After appearing in several TV and radio shows, Miller again found huge success in 1968 series "Adam-12," in which he along with his co-actor Kent McCord, played two patrol cops who grapple with a range of incidents, while cruising the streets of Los Angeles.
The show, which ran from 1968 to 1975, had a lasting impact on society and was said to have introduced a whole generation to police jargon and procedures, CNN reported. Later Miller reprised the role in "The New Adam-12," which had a brief run in 1990-91.