Ron Harper dead at 91: The Hollywood actor who starred in ‘Planet of the Apes’ has passed away

Hollywood actor Ron Harper who starred in ‘Planet of the Apes’ and ‘Land of the Lost’ has died at the age of 91. His daughter Nicole Longeuay told The Hollywood Reporter that he had passed away from natural causes. 

Ron Harper, whose full name was Ronald Robert Harper was born in Turtle Creek Pennsylvania on 12 January 1933. After graduating from high school, he earned a scholarship to Princeton University and was then offered a fellowship to Harvard Law School. 

However, he decided against Harvard Law School and decided to pursue a career as an actor. Ron Harper previously said at the time that “I kept saying to myself, ‘Should you waste your good education being an actor?’ And that little voice within me kept saying things like, ‘What do you want to take that fellowship to Harvard Law for? Be an actor. Starving is fun,’” he said in 1966. “And like the fool that any actor has to be, I listened to that dumb little voice.”

After serving in the U.S. Ron Harper was an understudy to Paul Newman in Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth.

After being given the opportunity to play Paul Newman’s understudy, Ron Harper went on to star in the NBC police show 87th Precinct, based on the novels of Ed McBain. Ron Harper was also in the George Burns produced ABC sitcom Wendy and Me. 

Ron Harper landed the role of astronaut Alan Virdon on CBS’ Planet of the Apes in 1974, the series came after the five Planet of the Apes movies which starred Roddy McDowall as the chimpanzee. However, unfortunately for Ron Harper, the show was cancelled as it didn’t do well in its Friday night slot and only 14 episodes aired. 

When this role came to an end, Ron Harper joined the cast of Land of the Lost for its final season and played the part of Uncle Jack. However, he was only on the sci-fi show on NBC for 13 episodes. 

Ron Harper also starred in the movie Pearl Harbor in 2001 and his co-stars included Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale. Ron Harper also appeared in soap operas, ‘Where the Heart Is, ‘ Love of Life,’ and had roles in ‘Below Utopia,’ and ‘Freedom Strike.’

Actor Ron Harper is survived by his ex-wife Shirley, first wife actress Sally Stark, his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters.