Ron Glass

Ron Glass was an American actor who began in the theater, performing at the Guthrie in Minneapolis before heading to Hollywood. Born in Evansville, Indiana, he studied drama and literature at the University of Evansville, and by the 1970s was turning up in episodes of shows such as Sanford and Son, Maude, All in the Family and Good Times. His breakthrough came in 1975 as Detective Ron Harris on the sitcom Barney Miller, a part he played until 1982 and one that brought him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Later television work ranged from the sitcoms The New Odd Couple, Rhythm and Blues and Mr. Rhodes to appearances on Friends and Star Trek: Voyager, along with voice roles on All Grown Up! and Rugrats. He was a regular on Firefly as Derrial Book and reprised the part in Serenity (2005); his later films included Lakeview Terrace (2008) and Death at a Funeral (2010).