Daughter of movie star Ron Harper has sadly announced his death, as tributes pour in for the actor who enjoyed a long career in Tinsel Town.
The Planet of the Apes actor who also graced TV with Land of the Lost passed away from natural causes at age 91 at his home in Los Angeles. The movie star, who enjoyed a successful 15 years on television also transitioned into film, starring in 2001’s hit Pearl Harbor opposite Ben Affleck. The Hollywood star is known for several of his works across his 60 years in the business.
Planet of the Apes star dies
After acting as an understudy for Paul Newman on Broadway, the celebrity was cast as Detective Bert Kling on the 1961 NBC cop show 87th Precinct, based on the works of Ed McBain.
He then moved over to ABC in 1964 and played Jeff Conway in Wendy and Me, who was the husband of Connie Stevens’ character. Then he bagged a role as the son of Jean Arthur’s lawyer in CBS’ The Jean Arthur Show two years later, before playing Lt Craig Garrison in Garrison’s Gorillas, the following year, which was set in World War II.
His big break came in 1974 where he landed the role of astronaut Alan Virdon on CBS’ Planet of the Apes. The series came after the five movies, and also starred Roddy McDowall from the silver screen.
Although, it wasn’t a hit and was cancelled after 14 episodes.
Harper told Tom Weaver in 2008: “Our Planet of the Apes stories degenerated into The Fugitive with fur. I think that’s one of the things that curtailed what should have been a longer run.”
Still determined, Harper then joined the Land of the Lost in 1976 for the third and final season, playing Uncle Jack on the sci-fi show.
“The stories were very good,” Harper said in 2005.
“Each generation of children as they come up and are exposed to it like those stories and remember them, pass them right on. I have about three tapes, and I’ve been showing them to my daughter since she was five. And she still, of all my series, loves Land of the Lost best.”
‘I listened to that dumb little voice’
The star graduated from Turtle Creek High School and earned a scholarship to Princeton University, and dabbled with the idea of becoming a lawyer.
The Pennsylvania native was offered a fellowship to Harvard Law school but wanted to pursue his dream of acting.
He said in 1996: “I kept saying to myself, ‘Should you waste your good education being an actor?’ And that little voice within me kept saying things like, ‘What do you want to take that fellowship to Harvard Law for? Be an actor. Starving is fun.’
“And like the fool that any actor has to be, I listened to that dumb little voice.”
Harper then studied with Lee Strasberg, served in the Navy and was an understand in Sweet Bird of Youth, a play by Tennessee Williams.
He managed to act in the play when Paul Neman was ill, who managed to watch him play the part too.
“In my last performance of it, I saw Paul in the audience,” he recalled in 2015.
“If he was not feeling too well, he was feeling a little bit better. He was a wonderful, sweet guy. I think he probably felt generous enough to say, ‘Let Ron do one or two of the performances.’”
Ron Harper would go on to star in more TV, movies and Broadway shows before his death.
His credits include The Wild Season, Pearl Harbor, The odd Couple II, as well as Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, The West Wing and Cold Case.
Fans pay tribute to Ron Harper after his death
Film and TV fans have paid tribute to Ron Harper after his death, taking to social media to send condolences.
One Twitter user, wrote: “Sad Demise. May he Rest in peace.”
A second said: “Watching Planet Of The Apes TV Show Was The Highlight Of The Week For Me As A Child. God Bless You Ron Sleep Well And Thank You.”
While a third said: “Just hearing the terrible news that Ron Harper (January 12th 1936 – March 24th 2024) has in fact passed away, Planet Of The Apes was very much a part of my childhood that I still find a great deal of pleasure in… RIP”
And a fourth echoed: “Sad to hear that actor Ron Harper died today at age 91. He starred in the TV series 87th Precinct, Wendy & Me, Planet of the Apes, and my fave Garrison’s Gorillas”.
He is survived by his daughter Nicole , son-in-law Daniel, granddaughters Ronnie and Harper and ex-wife Shirley.
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