Ron Glass
Glass was born in Evansville, Indiana in 1945.
After high school, Glass attended the University of Evansville where
he received a Bachelor of Arts degree double majoring in Drama and
Literature. Years later the university honored his work in
television and film with their highest commendation, the Medal of
Honor.
Glass made his stage debut at the
Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, regarded as America’s foremost
classical theatre company. Critics and audiences alike celebrated
his work on such productions as Tyrone Guthrie’s ground breaking
production of "The House Of Arteus", "The Taming Of The Shrew",
"Misalliance", T"he Dutchmman", and "Ceremonies In Dark Old Men".
He went on to star at numerous
regional theatres including West Springfield Theatre, The Seattle
Repertory and the Shakespeare Festival in British Columbia.
Following his successful
Repertory/Regional experience, Ron decided to try his luck in
Hollywood. He landed in town with all his possessions packed in a
single suitcase. Ron’s prodigious talent opened doors and he quickly
established himself as a popular guest star in some of televisions
hottest shows.
His earliest TV appearances include
episodes of "Sanford and Son" in 1972 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
also co-starred with Demond Wilson on television in the short-lived
remake of "The Odd Couple", called "The New Odd Couple". In 1992, he
costarred in the short-lived sitcom "Rhythm and Blues", a kind of
"black 'WKRP', playing "the fifth Top".
Since then, Glass has appeared in
dozens of television series, including the Disney children's series
"Teen Angel" where he played God's cousin Rod, and the cult science
fiction series "Firefly", in which he played Shephed Book, a
religious man with a mysterious past. Glass reprised his role from
"Firefly" in the 2005 film "Serenity". Most recently you can see Ron
Glass starring as Judge Fenton in episodes of “Shark.”
When Ron isn't working, he can be
found at the AL Wooten Jr. Heritage Center where he serves as
Chairman of the Board. With the motto, “Catch a Vision”, the
organization’s goal is to empower the growth of young people in a
community in crisis.
He works hard, encouraging kids and
recruiting adult involvement.
Ron relishes the opportunity to
guide kids along the bumpy road to making their dreams come true.
For his efforts, Ron has received the organization’s “Catch the
Vision Award”.
