Ron Glass
Ronald Earle Glass (July 10, 1945 – November 25, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as literary Detective Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and as the Shepherd Book, in the science fiction series Firefly (2002) and its sequel film Serenity (2005).
Also recorded as Ronald Earle Glass
Ron Glass

Raven Underwood · Flickr · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Ron Glass
- Birth Name
- Ronald Earle Glass
- Born
- 10 July 1945
- Birthplace
- Evansville, Indiana, U.S.
- Died
- 25 November 2016
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actor
- Education
- University of Evansville (BA)
- Known for
- Detective Ron Harris (Barney Miller) Shepherd Book (Firefly and Serenity)
- Full name
- Ronald Earle Glass.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
Ronald Earle Glass (July 10, 1945 – November 25, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as literary Detective Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975–1982), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and as the Shepherd Book, in the science fiction series Firefly (2002) and its sequel film Serenity (2005).
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Authority files
wikidata · Q951335 · wikipedia · Ron Glass
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ron Glass • Birth Name — Ronald Earle Glass • Born — 10 July 1945 • Birthplace — Evansville, Indiana, U.S. • Died — 25 November 2016 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Rose Hills Memorial Park • Occupation — Actor • Education — University of Evansville (BA) • Known for — Detective Ron Harris (Barney Miller) Shepherd Book (Firefly and Serenity) • Years Active — 1972–2014
Early life
Early life
Glass was born in Evansville, Indiana, the son of Lethia and Crump Glass. After graduating from St. Francis Seminary in 1964, Glass attended the University of Evansville, where he received a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in drama and literature. Years later, the university awarded him its Medal of Honor. Glass said in 2007 he knew while he was in college that he wanted to act. With the encouragement of his teacher, Dudley Thomas, he performed in a play and went on to an acting career.
Career
Career
• Illustration — Glass (second from the left) with the cast of Barney Miller, 1977 Glass made his stage debut at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, before moving to Hollywood. His earliest TV appearances include episodes of Sanford and Son in 1972, an episode of Hawaii Five-O in 1973, an episode of Maude in 1973, an episode of All in the Family in 1973, an episode of The Bob Newhart Show, 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 co-starred with Demond Wilson on television in a remake of The Odd Couple, called The New Odd Couple. On December 13, 1985, he played a soul-collecting devil opposite Sherman Hemsley's mathematics professor in an episode of the revived Twilight Zone series. In 1992, he co-starred in the sitcom Rhythm and Blues. In 1996, Glass was cast as uptight history teacher Roland Felcher in the NBC sitcom Mr. Rhodes opposite Tom Rhodes. In 1999, he appeared in two episodes of the NBC sitcom Friends as Russell, Ross Geller's lawyer. After that, Glass appeared in dozens of television series, including sitcoms such as Family Matters and the series Teen Angel, where he played God's cousin Rod. He had a guest appearance in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Nightingale". He was a series regular in the science fiction series Firefly (2002) and the sequel film Serenity (2005), in which he played Derrial Book, a Christian Shepherd (Latin: Pastor) with a mysterious past. Glass provided the voice of Randy Carmichael for the Nickelodeon series All Grown Up! and Rugrats, and the character Garth in the video game Fable II. In 2008 he appeared in the film Lakeview Terrace alongside Samuel L. Jackson and starred in the 2010 version of Death at a Funeral as Duncan.
Personal life and death
Personal life and death
Glass never married, and though raised Catholic became a devout Buddhist, and a member of Soka Gakkai International. He died of respiratory failure on November 25, 2016, at the age of 71. He is interred at the Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.
Television
Television
Ron Glass television credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 1972–1974 — Sanford and Son — Hucklebuck / Herman Edwards — 2 episodes • 1973 — All in the Family — Jack — Episode: "Everybody Tells the Truth" • Beg, Borrow, or Steal — Ray Buren — TV film • Shirts/Skins — Mr. Brown — TV film • Maude — Whitnauer Fulton — Episode: "Florida's Affair" • Hawaii Five-O — J. Paul — Episode: "Tricks Are Not Treats" • The — Elevator Repairman — Episode: "Fit, Fat and Forty One" • Griff — Dietrich — Episode: "Elephant in a Cage" • Insight — Courtney Rickell — Episode: "Reunion" • 1974 — The — Mark Borden — Episode: "The Case of the Tortured Titan" • Change at 125th Street — John Morse — TV short film • Good Times — Mr. Pearson / Henry Anderson — 2 episodes • The — Earl — Episode: "Rampage" • 1975 — Let's Switch! — LaRue Williams — TV film • Insight — Courtney Rickell — Episode: "Class Reunion" • Foster and Laurie — Doctor #2 — TV film • When Things Were Rotten — Black Knight — Episode: "This Lance for Hire" • 1975–1982 — Barney Miller — Det. Ron Harris — Regular role (164 episodes) • 1976 — The — Arlen Washington — Episode: "The Thrill Killers" • 1978 — Crash — Jerry Grant — TV film • 1981 — Hart to Hart — Conductor Slattery — Episode: "Hartland Express" • 1982–1983 — The — Felix Unger — Regular role (18 episodes) • 1985 — Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster — Midnight Brewster — TV film • The — Demon — Episode: "I of Newton" • 1986 — Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star — Eric Brenner — TV film • 1987 — 227 — Robert Stone — 2 episodes • 1988 — Sonny Spoon — Episode: "Deuces Wild" • 1989 — Family Matters — Buddy Goodrich — Episode: "False Arrest" • 1989–1991 — Amen — Jason Lockwood — 3 episodes • 1991 — The New Adam-12 — Logan Mills — Episode: "D.A.R.E." • 1992 — Murder, She Wrote — Lt. Hanrahan — Episode: "Incident in Lot #7" • The — Deacon Hudson — Episode: "The Sneakin' Deacon" • 1992–1993 — Rhythm & Blues — Don Phillips — Main role (13 episodes) • 1993 — Designing Women — Punch — Episode: "It's Not So Easy Being Green" • 1993–2001 — Rugrats — Randy Carmichael (voice) — 6 episodes • 1994 — Aladdin — Kwanseer (voice) — Episode: "Bad Mood Rising" • 1996–1997 — Mr. Rhodes — Ronald Felcher — Regular role (17 episodes) • 1997 — Superman: The Animated Series — News Anchorman (voice) — Episode: "Blasts from the Past" • The — Judge Kent — Episode: "Reasonable Doubts" • 1997–1998 — Teen Angel — Rod — Regular role (17 episodes) • 1999 — Incognito — Marcus Courtland — TV film • Twice in a Lifetime — Charlie Summers / Charlie Winters — Episode: "The Blame Game" • Friends — Russell — 2 episodes • 2000 — Jack & Jill — Mr. Small — Episode: "Animal Planet: Part 1" • Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane — Prof. Bradford — Episode: "Too Much Pressure" • Star Trek: Voyager — Loken — Episode: "Nightingale" • 2001 — Rude Awakening — Joseph — Episode: "Ode to Billie and Joe" • Yes, Dear — Dr. Bradley — Episode: "The Big Snip" • The — Graham Redmond — Episode: "Pilot" • The — The Talking Baby (voice) — 4 episodes • 2002 — Firefly — Shepherd Derrial Book — Main role (14 episodes) • 2004 — The — Barry — Episode: "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" • 2004–2008 — All Grown Up! — Randy Carmichael (voice) — 12 episodes • 2006 — Secret History of Religion: Doomsday – Book of Revelation — Reenactor — TV film • Secret History of Religion: Knights Templar — Reenactor — TV film • 2006–2007 — Shark — Judge Stewart Fenton — 3 episodes • 2008 — Dirty Sexy Money — D.A. Dennis Ford — 2 episodes • 2011 — CSI: NY — Colby Glass — Episode: "To What End?" • 2013, 2014 — Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — Dr. Streiten — 2 episodes • 2013 — Major Crimes — Clayton Carter — Episode: "There's No Place Like Home" • 2014 — CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Paul Lomax — Episode: "Killer Moves" (Final role)
Video games
Video games
Ron Glass video game credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 2008 — Fable II — Garth • 2014 — Ancient Space — Colonel Edwards / Professor Risseau — Voice (final role)
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Ron Glass was recorded at birth as Ronald Earle Glass. The authorities additionally record the heading Ronald Earle Glass. His recorded language was English. His recorded confession was Buddhism.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2016
Ron Glass died at Los Angeles.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Evansville.
Birth place
Los Angeles.
Death place
Film
Ron Glass film credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference(s) • 1974 — The — Quintus • 1983 — Sound of Sunshine – Sound of Rain — Narrator — Short film • 1988 — Deep Space — Jerry Merris • 1995 — Houseguest — Dr. Derek Bond • 1996 — It's My Party — Dr. David Wahl • 1997 — Back in Business — Allen Smith • 1999 — Unbowed — President Duquesne • Deal of a Lifetime — Mr. Creighton • 2001 — Recess: School's Out — Dr. Lazenby / Tech #2 (voice) — Direct-to-video • 2005 — Serenity — Shepherd Book • 2008 — Lakeview Terrace — Harold Perreau • 2010 — Death at a Funeral — Duncan • 2012 — Strange Frame — Philo Grenman
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Ron Glass”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q951335: Ron Glass
Unverified · Wikidata
Citations
References
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reference work
Partially resolvedauthority record
Unverified
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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