Ralph Waite

Waite had supporting roles in movies such as Cool Hand Luke (1967), Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Grissom Gang (1971), The Bodyguard (1992), and Cliffhanger (1993).

• Name — Ralph Waite • Born — 22 June 1928 • Birthplace — White Plains, New York, U.S. • Died — 13 February 2014 • Place of death — Palm Desert, California, U.S. • Resting Place — White Plains Rural Cemetery • Education — Bucknell University and Yale Divinity School • Occupation — Actor, political activist • Years Active — 1954–2014 • Political Party — Democratic • Children — 3

Waite, the eldest of five children, was born in White Plains, New York, on June 22, 1928, to Ralph H. Waite, a construction engineer, and Esther (née Mitchell) Waite. He graduated from White Plains Senior High School in 1946. Too young for World War II, Waite served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1948, then graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He worked briefly as a social worker. Waite earned a master's degree from Yale University's Divinity School and was an ordained Presbyterian minister and religious editor at Harper & Row, New York, before deciding on an acting career. He was a member of the Peninsula Players summer theater program during the 1963 season, and studied under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.

Wait'es first professional role was the chief of police in The Balcony in a 1960 production of the play in New York. In 1963, he made his Broadway debut as the Minister in Marathon '33, written and directed by June Havoc. He next appeared in Blues for Mister Charlie, and worked on- and off-Broadway steadily throughout the 1960s. His first film role was in Cool Hand Luke in 1967, followed by multiple other film roles. • Illustration — From The Waltons (1972), L-R: Ralph Waite, Richard Thomas, and Michael Learned Beginning in 1972, Waite appeared in The Waltons for nine seasons and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of John Walton Sr., the father of seven children, in the series that followed a Virginia family during the Great Depression. Waite was also the director for 16 episodes of the series. Waite founded the experimental Los Angeles Actor's theatre in 1975 and served as its artistic director. In 1977, he appeared in the mini-series Roots and was nominated for an Emmy Award. Other television roles included The Mississippi (1982-1984), Murder One (1996), Carnivàle (2003-2005), and Days of Our Lives (2009-2013). Waite originated the role of Will Kidder in the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Young Man from Atlanta by playwright Horton Foote, in 1995. His later films included The Bodyguard, the part of Frank the helicopter pilot in the 1993 film Cliffhanger, and as the mysterious time traveler in Timequest (2002). He also voiced Shadow in Homeward Bound II. In the 2000s, Waite had recurring roles in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs, the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and in Bones as Seeley Booth's grandfather.

Waite was married three times, two marriages ending in divorce. He had three daughters from his first marriage. His eldest daughter, Sharon Waite, died of leukemia when she was 9 years old in 1964. Liam Waite, one of Waite's stepsons, is also an actor. After 50 years away from organized religion, Waite returned in 2010 and became an active member of Spirit of the Desert Presbyterian Fellowship in Palm Desert, California.

Waite ran unsuccessfully for Congress in California as a Democrat on three occasions: In 1990, he challenged veteran GOP incumbent Al McCandless in the Riverside County-based 37th district, losing by 5%. In 1998, Waite ran in the special election for the then-Palm Springs-based 44th district left vacant by the death of incumbent Sonny Bono. He was defeated in that election by Mary Bono, Sonny's widow, and lost to her again that November. On October 21, 1991, Waite introduced former California Governor Jerry Brown prior to the latter's speech announcing his candidacy for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.

• |Year — |Office — |Democrat — |Votes — |Pct — |Republican — |Votes — |Pct • 1990 — U.S House of Representatives District 37 — |Jeffrey Jacobs 29% Ralph Waite 71% — 103,961 — |44.8% — |Bud Mathewson 27% Al McCandless 73% — 115,469 — |49.8% • 1998 — U.S House of Representatives District 44 (special election) — |Ralph Waite — 24,228 — |28.8% — |Mary Bono — 53,755 — |64% • 1998 — U.S House of Representatives District 39 (general election) — |Ralph Waite — 57,697 — |35.7% — |Mary Bono — 97,013 — |60.1%

On February 13, 2014, Waite died in Palm Desert, California, of natural causes at age 85. He is buried in White Plains Rural Cemetery in New York. The NCIS episode "Honor Thy Father", the season 11 finale, is dedicated to Waite's memory.

Director • Year — Title — Notes • 1973-1980 — The Waltons — 16 episodes • 1983 — The Mississippi — Episode "Mardi Gras" Actor • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1966 — Look Up and Live — Host • 1967–1968 — N.Y.P.D. — Robert Stryker • 1970 — Bonanza — Hoby — Episode "The Lady and the Mark" • 1971 — Nichols — Sam Burton • 1972–1981 — The Waltons — John Walton Sr. • 1977 — Roots — Slater, First Mate • 1978 — CBS: On the Air — Himself • 1983 — The Mississippi — Ben Walker • 1987 — Reading Rainbow • 1989 — Murder, She Wrote — District Attorney Paul Robbins • 1993 — Roseanne — Dr. Gerald Baker • 1994 — Time Trax — Lamont Carson • 1996 — Murder One — Malcolm Dietrich • 1997 — Orleans — Otis Leblanc • 1999 — The Outer Limits — Gene Morton • Chicken Soup for the Soul — Dad • Rocket Power — Doc Freimouth — Voice • 2001 — All My Children — Bart • 2003–2005 — Carnivàle — Reverend Norman Balthus • 2004 — The Practice — Walter Josephson • 2007 — Cold Case — Felton Metz • 2008 — CSI — Sheriff Montgomery — Episode "Young Man with a Horn" • 2008–2013 — NCIS — Jackson Gibbs — 8 episodes • 2008 — The Cleaner — Jonus Mullins • 2009–2014 — Days of Our Lives — Father Matt • 2009 — Grey's Anatomy — Irving Waller — Episode "Tainted Obligation" • 2009–2013 — Bones — Hank Booth — 3 episodes • 2011 — Off the Map — Abuelito — Episode "On the Mean Streets of San Miguel" TV movies • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1967 — The Borgia Stick — The Man From Toledo • 1973 — The Thanksgiving Story • 1976 — The Secret Life of John Chapman — John Chapman • 1977 — Red Alert — Henry Stone • 1977 — Waiting for Godot — Pozzo • 1980 — OHMS — Floyd Wing • 1980 — Angel City — Jared Teeter • 1981 — The Gentleman Bandit — Father Bernard Pagano • 1982-1999 — A Wedding on Walton's Mountain — John Walton Sr. — Reunion movies • Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain • A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain • A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion • A Walton Wedding • A Walton Easter • 1984 — A Good Sport — Tommy O'Bannon — Also executive producer • Growing Pains — Rob • 1985 — Crime of Innocence — Frank Hayward • 1990 — Sparks: The Price of Passion — Orville Lemon • 1994 — Sin & Redemption — Cal Simms • Keys — Dr. C.J. Halligan • 1995 — A Season of Hope — Sam Hackett • 1997 — The Third Twin — Senator Proust • 2000 — The President's Man — President Mathews • 2001 — Spirit — Jacob • 2003 — Blessings — Sheriff • 2007 — Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses — Jacob Brawley • 2009 — Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective — Grandpa Ventura

• Marathon '33 (1963) • Blues for Mister Charlie (1964) • Hogan's Goat (play) (1965) • The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1967) • Other People's Money (play, before the film) (1991, Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI) • The Young Man from Atlanta (1995)

The authorities additionally record the headings Ralph Harold Waite Jr. Waite Jr. And Ralph Harold Waite. His recorded language was English. His recorded confession was Presbyterianism.

Ralph Waite is recorded as director, comedian, actor and screenwriter.