On March 21, in West Hills, CA, Ron Harper, a well-known actor, passed away at the age of 91. His daughter, Nicole Longeuay, confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter. Born in Pennsylvania and raised in New York City, Harper pursued a career in acting after serving in the U.S. Navy and studying at Princeton University.
In the early stages of his career, Harper worked as an understudy for Paul Newman in Sweet Bird of Youth on Broadway before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in television. He began his TV journey with a role in NBC’s Tales of Wells Fargo and later appeared on shows such as Wagon Train, Shotgun Slade and 87th Precinct where he portrayed Det. Bert Kling for multiple episodes.
Throughout his television career, Harper had several recurring roles including Garrison’s Gorillas, Where the Heart Is and Planet of the Apes. He also found success in daytime drama by landing roles on shows such as Another World, Loving and Generations. In more recent years, Harper appeared in Pearl Harbor and portrayed a chairman in The West Wing.
