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Actor Ron Harper, a prolific television actor best known for starring in the 1974 television adaptation of Planet of the Apes, has passed away. He was 91.
Harper passed away Thursday (March 21) of natural causes. His daughter, Nicole Longeuay, confirmed his passing to The Hollywood Reporter.
Born in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, the actor first got his start working in television in 1960 when he landed a number of guest appearances in Tales of Wells Fargo, Wagon Train, and Thriller. His landed his first regular series role on 87th Precinct in 1961, where he played Detective Bert Kling.
Thus began a decades-long career in television that spanned genres. Harper went on to star in Wendy and Me, Garrison’s Gorillas, and Where the Heart Is, amongst several other titles.
His most notable role was as astronaut Alan Virdon in the 1974 series Planet of the Apes, which was adapted from the hit film series. The show was unfortunately canceled after just 14 episodes.
The latter half of his career also included appearances on Boy Meets World, Melrose Place, The West Wing. He also appeared in the 2007 drama Pearl Harbor, also starring Ben Affleck.
Harper’s final acting credit was in the 2015 made-for-television movie Kidnapped: The Hannah Anderson Story.
THR reports that Harper turned down a fellowship to attend Harvard Law School after he completed his undergraduate degree at Princeton University.
“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,’” he said in 1966, per THR. “And like the fool that any actor has to be, I listened to that dumb little voice.”
Harper is survived by his ex-wife, as well as his daughter, his son-in-law, and his grandchildren.
