The American actor <a href="http://www.world-today-news.com/he-filmed-with-uschi-glas-tarzan-actor-ron-ely-is-dead-entertainment/" title="He filmed with Uschi Glas: “Tarzan” actor Ron Ely is dead | Entertainment”>Ron Ely, who enchanted an entire generation as Tarzan in the series of the same name, passed away a few weeks ago, as has now been announced. He died on September 29 in Santa Barbara, California, surrounded by his family.
Ronald Pierce Ely was born on June 21, 1938 in Hereford, Texas. After studying at the University of Texas, he started his acting career with small roles at MGM. His athletic appearance and imposing height of 1.93m made him the ideal choice for the role of Tarzan, a character that would change his life forever.
From 1966 to 1968, Ely created an innovative interpretation of Tarzan. Unlike his predecessors, his Tarzan spoke fluent English and showed greater intelligence. The series, shot in Mexico, was physically demanding – Ely performed his own stunts and suffered more than 17 different injuries during filming. After Tarzan, Ely remained active in Hollywood. He played the lead role in ‘Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze’ (1975) and appeared in such popular series as ‘Wonder Woman’, ‘Fantasy Island’ and ‘The Love Boat’. From 1980 to 1981 he also hosted the game show ‘Face the Music’.
Less well known is Ely’s career as a writer. In the 1990s he published two detective novels: ‘Night Shadows’ (1994) and ‘East Beach’ (1995). These thrillers were positively received by critics. In his private life, Ely knew both joy and tragedy. He was married twice and had three children from his first marriage to Valerie Lundeen. In 2019, his life was overshadowed by a family tragedy when his wife Valerie was killed in a domestic incident.
Ely’s last acting role was in the 2001 television film ‘Sheena’, after which he retired from the entertainment industry. He leaves behind a rich legacy as one of Hollywood’s most memorable Tarzans and as a versatile performer who also proved himself as a writer and broadcaster.
Ron Ely is 86 years old and leaves behind two daughters from his marriage to former Miss Florida Valerie Lundeen. Their son, Cameron, was shot dead by police in 2019 after the boy stabbed his mother to death. The boy suffered from traumatic encephalopathy, a brain damageg.
