Ron Harper, the esteemed actor recognized for his memorable roles in Land of the Lost and Planet of the Apes, has passed away at the age of 91.
Ron Harper, whose career in TV spanned several decades with roles in ‘Generations,’ ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Land of the Lost’ and ‘Another World,’ died March 21 of natural causes in West Hills, CA. He was 91 https://t.co/uCfY1QO7yW
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 25, 2024
His daughter, Nicole Longeuay, confirmed the sad news by saying that Harper passed away peacefully at his home in West Hills, California. According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter, the cause of his death was natural.
Longeuay expressed her sorrow in a moving social media post that Extra captured, writing, “It is with a heavy heart that I must share the news of my father’s passing… He laid his head down to rest and never woke up again.”
She also shared that her father had been battling Alzheimer’s dementia, a condition that had been affecting him for years.
Ron Harper’s legacy in the entertainment industry will undoubtedly live on through his iconic performances and contributions to film and television. “I believe he’ll continue to watch over all of us until we’re reunited,” she concluded.
People have reached out to Harper’s representative for a statement. Born on January 12, 1933, in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, Harper completed high school and earned a scholarship to attend Princeton University. After graduating, he received a fellowship offer from Harvard Law School, which he declined to pursue acting.
His television career began with a role as Detective Bert Kling on NBC’s 87th Precinct from 1961 to 1962, based on novels by Ed McBain. He then appeared as Jeff Conway in Wendy and Me, opposite Connie Stevens, on ABC from 1964 to 1965.
He continued with roles in The Jean Arthur Show on CBS in 1966 and Garrison’s Gorillas on ABC in 1967. In 1974, Harper played astronaut Alan Virdon in Planet of the Apes, a series based on the 1968 film.
Unfortunately, the show was canceled after airing 14 episodes. He later starred as Uncle Jack in the third and final season of NBC’s Land of the Lost in 1976. In a 2005 interview discussing the show’s bonus features, Harper shared that his daughter was a big fan of Land of the Lost.
“The stories were very good,” he explained. “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 5. And she still, of all my series, loves Land of the Lost best.”
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