Ronald Earle Glass (July 10, 1945 – November 25, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as literary Detective Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and as the 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 the encouragement of his teacher, Dudley Thomas, he performed in a play and went on to an acting career.
Career
thumb|Glass (second from the left) with the cast of [[Barney Miller, 1977]]
Glass made his stage debut at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, 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 Detective 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 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
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ <!-- WP:ACCESSIBILITY & MOS:TABLECAPTION -->
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |
|-
| 1974 || ' || Quintus || ||
|-
| 1983 || Sound of Sunshine – Sound of Rain || Narrator || Short film ||
|-
| 1988 || Deep Space || Jerry Merris || ||
|-
| 1995 || Houseguest || Dr. Derek Bond || ||
|-
| 2005 || Serenity || Shepherd Book || ||
|-
| 2010 || Death at a Funeral || Duncan || ||
|-
| Beg, Borrow, or Steal
| Ray Buren
| TV film
|