| Ron Glass | |
| Birth Name: | Ronald Earle Glass |
| Birth Date: | 10 July 1945 |
| Birth Place: | Evansville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting Place: | Rose Hills Memorial Park |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Alma Mater: | University of Evansville (BA) |
| Known For: | Detective Ron Harris (Barney Miller) Shepherd Derrial Book (Firefly and Serenity) |
| Yearsactive: | 1972–2014 |
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).
Glass was born in Evansville, Indiana, the son of Lethia and Crump Glass.[1]
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.
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 NBC sitcom Mr. Rhodes opposite comedian Tom Rhodes. In 1999, he appeared in two episodes of NBC sitcom Friends as Ross Geller's divorce lawyer, Russell.[2]
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 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[3] "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.
Glass never married, and though raised Catholic became a devout Buddhist, and a member of Soka Gakkai International.[4] [5] He died of respiratory failure on November 25, 2016, at the age of 71.[6] [7] He is interred at the Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 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 | Dr. Lazenby / Tech #2 (voice) | |||
| 2005 | Serenity | Shepherd Derrial Book | ||
| 2008 | Lakeview Terrace | Harold Perreau | ||
| 2010 | Death at a Funeral | Duncan | ||
| 2012 | Strange Frame | Philo D Grenman |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–1974 | Sanford and Son | Hucklebuck / Herman Edwards | Episodes: "The Card Sharps", "Once a Thief" | |
| 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" | ||
| Elevator Repairman | Episode: "Fit, Fat and Forty One" | |||
| Griff | Dietrich | Episode: "Elephant in a Cage" | ||
| Insight | Courtney Rickell | Episode: "Reunion" | ||
| 1974 | Mark Borden | Episode: "The Case of the Tortured Titan" | ||
| Change at 125th Street | John Morse | TV short film | ||
| Good Times | Mr. Pearson / Henry Anderson | Episodes: "Crosstown Buses Run All Day, Doodah, Doodah" "The Encyclopedia Hustle" | ||
| 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 | Arlen Washington | Episodes: "The Thrill Killers: Part 1 & 2" | ||
| 1978 | Crash | Jerry Grant | TV film | |
| 1981 | Hart to Hart | Conductor Slattery | Episode: "Hartland Express" | |
| 1982–1983 | Felix Unger | Regular role (18 episodes) | ||
| 1985 | Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster | Midnight Brewster | TV film | |
| Demon | Episode: "I of Newton" | |||
| 1986 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star | Eric Brenner | TV film | |
| 1987 | 227 | Robert Stone | Episodes: "The Audit", "There Goes the Building" | |
| 1988 | Sonny Spoon | Episode: "Deuces Wild" | ||
| 1989 | Family Matters | Buddy Goodrich | Episode: "False Arrest" | |
| 1989–1991 | Amen | Jason Lockwood | Episodes: "Witness for the Defense", "Miracle on 134th Street: Parts 1 & 2", "Deak-Scam" | |
| 1991 | The New Adam-12 | Logan Mills | Episode: "D.A.R.E." | |
| 1992 | Murder, She Wrote | Lt. Hanrahan | Episode: "Incident in Lot #7" | |
| 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) | TV series (6 episodes) | |
| 1994 | Aladdin | Kwanseer (voice) | Episode: "Bad Mood Rising" | |
| 1996–1997 | Mr. Rhodes | Ronald Felcher | Regular role (17 episodes) | |
| 1997 | News Anchorman (voice) | Episode: "Blasts from the Past: Part II" | ||
| 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 | Episodes: "The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel", "The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance" | ||
| 2000 | Jack & Jill | Mr. Small | Episode: "Animal Planet: Part 1" | |
| Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane | Prof. Bradford | Episode: "Too Much Pressure" | ||
| Loken | Episode: "Nightingale" | |||
| 2001 | Rude Awakening | Joseph | Episode: "Ode to Billie and Joe" | |
| Yes, Dear | Dr. Bradley | Episode: "The Big Snip" | ||
| Graham Redmond | Episode: "Pilot" | |||
| The Talking Baby (voice) | Episodes: "Spelling Bee", "Makeover", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thingy, Baby", "Surf and Turf" | |||
| 2002 | Firefly | Shepherd Derrial Book | Main role (14 episodes) | |
| 2004 | Barry | Episode: "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" | ||
| 2004–2008 | All Grown Up! | Randy Carmichael (voice) | Recurring role (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 | Episodes: "Dr. Feelbad", "Dial M for Monica", "Student Body" | |
| 2008 | Dirty Sexy Money | D.A. Dennis Ford | Episodes: "The Star Witness", "The Verdict" | |
| 2011 | Colby Glass | Episode: "To What End?" | ||
| 2013, 2014 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Dr. Streiten | Episode: "Pilot", "The Magical Place" | |
| 2013 | Major Crimes | Clayton Carter | Episode: "There's No Place Like Home" (s02e09) | |
| 2014 | Paul Lomax | Episode: "Killer Moves" (Final role) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Fable II | Garth | Voice | |
| 2014 | Ancient Space | Colonel Edwards / Professor Risseau | Voice; (Final role) |