Ron Glass

Ron Glass
Born	Ronald Earle Glass (1945-07-10)July 10, 1945 Evansville, Indiana, U.S.
Died	November 25, 2016(2016-11-25) (aged 71) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Rose Hills Memorial Park
Alma mater	University of Evansville (BA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1972–2014
Known for	Detective Ron Harris (Barney Miller) Shepherd Book (Firefly and Serenity)

Ronald Earle Glass (July 10, 1945 – November 25, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as literary Det. Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982), and as the spiritual shepherd, Shepherd Book, in the science fiction series Firefly (2002) and its sequel film Serenity (2005).

Early life

Glass was born in Evansville, Indiana, the son of Lethia and Crump Glass.

After graduating from St. Francis Seminary in 1964, Glass attended the University of Evansville, where he received a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in drama and literature. Years later, the university awarded him its Medal of Honor. Glass said in 2007 he knew while he was in college that he wanted to act. With a teacher's encouragement, he performed in a play and went on to an acting career.

Career

Glass (second from the left) with cast of Barney Miller, 1977

Glass made his stage debut at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, before moving to Hollywood. His earliest TV appearances include episodes of Sanford and Son in 1972, an episode of Hawaii Five-O in 1973, an episode of Maude in 1973, an episode of All in the Family in 1973, an episode of The Bob Newhart Show, and episodes of Good Times in 1974. In 1975, he landed the role of Det. Ron Harris in Barney Miller, which ran until 1982.

The following season, Glass co-starred with Demond Wilson on television in a remake of The Odd Couple, called The New Odd Couple. On December 13, 1985, he played a soul-collecting devil opposite Sherman Hemsley's mathematics professor in an episode of the revived Twilight Zone series. In 1992, he co-starred in the sitcom Rhythm and Blues, a kind of "black WKRP", playing "the fifth Top" opposite Roger Kabler.

In 1996, Glass was cast as uptight history teacher Roland Felcher in the NBC sitcom Mr. Rhodes opposite Tom Rhodes. In 1999, he appeared in two episodes of the NBC sitcom Friends as Russell, Ross Geller's lawyer. After that, Glass appeared in dozens of television series, including sitcoms such as Family Matters and the series Teen Angel, where he played God's cousin Rod. He had a guest appearance in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Nightingale". He was a series regular in the science fiction series Firefly (2002) and the sequel film Serenity (2005), in which he played Derrial Book, a Christian "Shepherd" with a mysterious past. Glass provided the voice of Randy Carmichael for the Nickelodeon series All Grown Up! and Rugrats, and the character Garth in the video game Fable II. In 2008 he appeared in the film Lakeview Terrace alongside Samuel L. Jackson and starred in the 2010 version of Death at a Funeral as Duncan.

Personal life and death

Glass never married, and though raised Catholic became a devout Buddhist, and a member of Soka Gakkai International. He died of respiratory failure on November 25, 2016, at the age of 71. He is interred at the Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder	Quintus
1983	Sound of Sunshine – Sound of Rain	Narrator	Short film
1988	Deep Space	Jerry Merris
1995	Houseguest	Dr. Derek Bond
1996	It's My Party	Dr. David Wahl
1997	Back in Business	Allen Smith
1999	Deal of a Lifetime	Mr. Creighton
	Unbowed	President Duquesne
2001	Recess: School's Out	Dr. Lazenby / Tech #2 (voice)	Direct-to-video
2005	Serenity	Shepherd Book
2008	Lakeview Terrace	Harold Perreau
2010	Death at a Funeral	Duncan
2012	Strange Frame	Philo Grenman

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972–1974	Sanford and Son	Hucklebuck / Herman Edwards	2 episodes
1973	All in the Family	Jack	Episode: "Everybody Tells the Truth"
	Beg, Borrow, or Steal	Ray Buren	TV film
	Shirts/Skins	Mr. Brown	TV film
	Maude	Whitnauer Fulton	Episode: "Florida's Affair"
	Hawaii Five-O	J. Paul	Episode: "Tricks Are Not Treats"
	The Bob Newhart Show	Elevator Repairman	Episode: "Fit, Fat and Forty One"
	Griff	Dietrich	Episode: "Elephant in a Cage"
	Insight	Courtney Rickell	Episode: "Reunion"
1974	The New Adventures of Perry Mason	Mark Borden	Episode: "The Case of the Tortured Titan"
	Change at 125th Street	John Morse	TV short film
	Good Times	Mr. Pearson / Henry Anderson	2 episodes
	The Streets of San Francisco	Earl	Episode: "Rampage"
1975	Let's Switch!	LaRue Williams	TV film
	Insight	Courtney Rickell	Episode: "Class Reunion"
	Foster and Laurie	Doctor #2	TV film
	When Things Were Rotten	Black Knight	Episode: "This Lance for Hire"
1975–1982	Barney Miller	Det. Ron Harris	Regular role (164 episodes)
1976	The Streets of San Francisco	Arlen Washington	Episode: "The Thrill Killers"
1978	Crash	Jerry Grant	TV film
1981	Hart to Hart	Conductor Slattery	Episode: "Hartland Express"
1982–1983	The New Odd Couple	Felix Unger	Regular role (18 episodes)
1985	Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster	Midnight Brewster	TV film
	The Twilight Zone	Demon	Episode: "I of Newton"
1986	Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star	Eric Brenner	TV film
1987	227	Robert Stone	2 episodes
1988	Sonny Spoon		Episode: "Deuces Wild"
1989	Family Matters	Buddy Goodrich	Episode: "False Arrest"
1989–1991	Amen	Jason Lockwood	3 episodes
1991	The New Adam-12	Logan Mills	Episode: "D.A.R.E."
1992	Murder, She Wrote	Lt. Hanrahan	Episode: "Incident in Lot #7"
	The Royal Family	Deacon Hudson	Episode: "The Sneakin' Deacon"
1992–1993	Rhythm & Blues	Don Phillips	Main role (13 episodes)
1993	Designing Women	Punch	Episode: "It's Not So Easy Being Green"
1993-2001	Rugrats	Randy Carmichael (voice)	6 episodes
1994	Aladdin	Kwanseer (voice)	Episode: "Bad Mood Rising"
1996–1997	Mr. Rhodes	Ronald Felcher	Regular role (17 episodes)
1997	Superman: The Animated Series	News Anchorman (voice)	Episode: "Blasts from the Past"
	The Practice	Judge Kent	Episode: "Reasonable Doubts"
1997–1998	Teen Angel	Rod	Regular role (17 episodes)
1999	Incognito	Marcus Courtland	TV film
	Twice in a Lifetime	Charlie Summers / Charlie Winters	Episode: "The Blame Game"
	Friends	Russell	2 episodes
2000	Jack & Jill	Mr. Small	Episode: "Animal Planet: Part 1"
	Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane	Prof. Bradford	Episode: "Too Much Pressure"
	Star Trek: Voyager	Loken	Episode: "Nightingale"
2001	Rude Awakening	Joseph	Episode: "Ode to Billie and Joe"
	Yes, Dear	Dr. Bradley	Episode: "The Big Snip"
	The Education of Max Bickford	Graham Redmond	Episode: "Pilot"
	The Proud Family	The Talking Baby (voice)	4 episodes
2002	Firefly	Shepherd Derrial Book	Main role (14 episodes)
2004	The Division	Barry	Episode: "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here"
2004–2008	All Grown Up!	Randy Carmichael (voice)	12 episodes
2006	Secret History of Religion: Doomsday – Book of Revelation	Reenactor	TV film
	Secret History of Religion: Knights Templar	Reenactor	TV film
2006–2007	Shark	Judge Stewart Fenton	3 episodes
2008	Dirty Sexy Money	D.A. Dennis Ford	2 episodes
2011	CSI: NY	Colby Glass	Episode: "To What End?"
2013, 2014	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.	Dr. Streiten	2 episodes
2013	Major Crimes	Clayton Carter	Episode: "There's No Place Like Home"
2014	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Paul Lomax	Episode: "Killer Moves" (Final role)

Video games

Year	Title	Voice role	Notes
2008	Fable II	Garth
2014	Ancient Space	Colonel Edwards / Professor Risseau	Voice (final role)

External links

• Ron Glass at IMDb 
• Ron Glass at the Internet Broadway Database
• Ron Glass at Find a Grave