Ron Glass Biography

Ronald E. "Ron" Glass (born July 10, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as the witty Det. Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller (1975"82), and as the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in the short-lived 2002 science fiction series Firefly and its sequel film Serenity.

Early life

Glass was born in Evansville, Indiana, the son of Lethia and Crump Glass. Graduating from Saint Francis Seminary in 1964, Glass attended the University of Evansville where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree double majoring in Drama and Literature. Years later the university honored his work in television and film with their highest commendation, the Medal of Honor. Glass stated in an interview that he knew he wanted to act while he was in college. A teacher liked his voice and encouraged him to try out for a play. He went on to act in that play (and many others) during his time there.

Career

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 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 Det. Ron Harris in Barney Miller which ran until 1982. The following season, Glass also co-starred with Demond Wilson on television in the short-lived remake of The Odd Couple, called The New Odd Couple. On December 13, 1985, he played a soul-collecting devil opposite Sherman Helmsley's mathematics professor in an episode of the revived Twilight Zone series. In 1992, he co-starred in the short-lived sitcom Rhythm and Blues, a kind of "black WKRP", playing "the fifth Top" opposite Roger Kabler. In 1996, Glass was cast as uptight history teacher Roland Felcher in the NBC sitcom Mr. Rhodes opposite comedian Tom Rhodes. In 1999, he appeared in an episode of the NBC sitcom Friends as Ross Geller's divorce lawyer, Russell.

Since then, Glass has 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 was in Star Trek: Voyager (in the episode "Nightingale") and the science fiction series Firefly (2002), in which he played Derrial Book, a Christian Shepherd with a mysterious past. Glass himself is a Buddhist. Glass reprised his role from Firefly in the film Serenity (2005). Glass also provides 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

Glass is a member of the Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist organization.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	'	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	Deal of a Lifetime	Mr. Creighton
1999	Unbowed	President Duquesne
2001	Recess: School's Out	Dr. Lazenby / Tech #2 (voice)
2005	Serenity	Shepherd Derrial Book
2008	Lakeview Terrace	Harold Perreau
2010	Death at a Funeral	Duncan
2012	Strange Frame	Philo D Grenman

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Sanford and Son	Hucklebuck	Episode: "The Card Sharps"
1973	All in the Family	Jack	Episode: "Everybody Tells the Truth"
1973	Beg, Borrow, or Steal	Ray Buren	TV film
1973	Shirts/Skins	Mr. Brown	TV film
1973	Maude	Whitnauer Fulton	Episode: "Florida's Affair"
1973	Hawaii Five-O	J. Paul	Episode: "Tricks Are Not Treats"
1973	'	Elevator Repairman	Episode: "Fit, Fat and Forty One"
1973	Griff	Dietrich	Episode: "Elephant in a Cage"
1973	Insight	Courtney Rickell	Episode: "Reunion"
1974	'	Mark Borden	Episode: "The Case of the Tortured Titan"
1974	Change at 125th Street		TV film
1974	Good Times	Mr. Pearson / Henry Anderson	Episodes: "Crosstown Buses Run All Day, Doodah, Doodah", "The Encyclopedia Hustle"
1974	Sanford and Son	Herman	Episode: "Once a Thief"
1974	'		Episode: "Rampage"
1975	Let's Switch!	LaRue Williams	TV film
1975	Insight	Courtney Rickell	Episode: "Class Reunion"
1975	Foster and Laurie	Doctor #2	TV film
1975	When Things Were Rotten	Black Knight	Episode: "This Lance for Hire"
1975-1982	Barney Miller	Det. Ron Harris	Regular role (164 episodes)
1976	'	Arlen Washington	Episodes: "The Thrill Killers: Part 1 & 2"
1978	Crash	Jerry Grant	TV film
1981	Hart to Hart	Conductor Slattery	Episode: "Hartland Express"
1982-1983	'	Felix Unger	Regular role (18 episodes)
1985	Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster	Midnight Brewster	TV film
1985	'	The Devil	Episode: "I of Newton"
1986	Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star	Eric Brenner	TV film
1987	227	Robert Stone	Episodes: "The Audit", "There Goes the Building"
1988	Sonny Spoon		Episode: "Deuces Wild"
1989	Family Matters	Buddy Goodrich	Episode: "False Arrest"
1989	Amen	Jason Lockwood	Episode: "Witness for the Defense"
1990	Amen	Jason Lockwood	Episodes: "Miracle on 134th Street: Parts 1 & 2"
1991	Amen	Jason Lockwood	Episode: "Deak-Scam"
1991	Adam-12	Logan Mills	Episode: "D.A.R.E."
1992	Murder, She Wrote	Lt. Hanrahan	Episode: "Incident in Lot #7"
1992	'	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	Rugrats	Randy Carmichael (voice)	TV series
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: Part II"
1997	'	Judge Kent	Episode: "Reasonable Doubts"
1997-1998	Teen Angel	Rod	Regular role (17 episodes)
1999	Incognito	Marcus Courtland	TV film
1999	Twice in a Lifetime	Charlie Summers / Charlie Winters	Episode: "The Blame Game"
1999	Friends	Russell	Episodes: "The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel", "The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance"
2000	Jack & Jill		Episode: "Animal Planet: Part 1"
2000	Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane	Prof. Bradford	Episode: "Too Much Pressure"
2000	Star Trek: Voyager	Loken	Episode: "Nightingale"
2001	Rude Awakening	Joseph	Episode: "Ode to Billie and Joe"
2001	Yes, Dear	Dr. Bradley	Episode: "The Big Snip"
2001	'	Graham Redmond	Episode: "Pilot"
2001	'	The Talking Baby (voice)	Episodes: "Spelling Bee", "Makeover"
2002-2003	Firefly	Derrial Book	Main role (14 episodes)
2004	'	Barry	Episode: "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here"
2004-2008	All Grown Up!	Randy Carmichael (voice)	Recurring role (12 episodes)
2006	Secret History of Religion: Doomsday - Book of Revelation	Reenactor	TV film
2006	Secret History of Religion: Knights Templar	Reenactor	TV film
2006	Shark	Judge Stewart Fenton	Episodes: "Dr. Feelbad", "Dial M for Monica"
2007	Shark	Judge Stewart Fenton	Episode: "Student Body"
2008	Dirty Sexy Money	D.A. Dennis Ford	Episodes: "The Star Witness", "The Verdict"
2011	CSI: NY	Colby Glass	Episode: "To What End?"
2013	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.	J. Stretian, MD	Episode: "Pilot"
2013	Major Crimes		Episode: "There's No Place Like Home" (s02e09)

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Fable II	Garth	Voice