*The entertainment world is mourning the death of thespian Ron Glass, most prominently known for his role on 70s sitcom “Barney Miller.” As Detective Ron Harris. He was 71.
Glass had recently battled with various illnesses, and was an active member in the L.A. Buddhist community. He passed away at his home Friday, where’d he’d been watched by a caretaker, reports TMZ.
The actor received an Emmy nomination for his role as Detective Harris on the “Barney Miller” show … he also made appearances on the original “Hawaii Five-O,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Firefly” and more recently on an episode of “CSI” in 2014.
Ron Glass was born in Evansville, Indiana, the son of Lethia and Crump Glass. Graduating from Saint Francis Seminary in 1964, Glass attended the University of Evansville, where he received a Bachelor of Arts double majoring in drama and literature, reads his Wikipedia page. Years later, the university honored his work in television and film with their highest commendation, the Medal of Honor. Glass stated in an interview that he knew he wanted to act while he was in college. A teacher liked his voice and encouraged him to try out for a play. He went on to act in that play (and many others) during his time there.
Glass made his onscreen debut in a 1973 guest spot on “All in the Family” and came to fame in 1975 when he was cast on “Miller,” a very popular comedy series on ABC alongside Hal Linden, Abe Vigoda, and Steve Landesberg. The series ran for nearly 200 episodes until 1982, with Glass appearing in nearly all of them.
When “Barney Miller” ended, Glass starred in “The New Odd Couple” as Felix Unger to Demond Wilson’s Oscar Madison. Glass found steady work throughout the rest of his life, appearing in numerous TV shows and movies.
Sci-fi fans best know Glass for playing Shepherd Derrial Book on Joss Whedon’s short-lived series “Firefly” and its follow up movie “Serenity.”
In addition to his work as an actor, Glass was a leader in the California Buddhist community. He was a prominent member of the Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist organization.
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