Major TV star dead - 5yrs after the horrific death of wife and son
ok.co.ukTributes have been paid to a Hollywood icon who has tragically died, five years after his beloved wife passed away. Ron Ely, who played Tarzan in the 1960s TV series, died last month at the age of 86, his family has confirmed.
Announcing the heartbreaking news on Instagram, Ron’s daughter Kirsten Casale Ely commemorated her “hero” father, who died at his home in Los Alamos in Santa Barbara, California on Sunday, 29 September. “My father was someone that people called a hero.
He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader,” she wrote. “He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. “The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person – there was something truly magical about him.This is how the world knew him.” Ron was known for performing his own stunts and broke several bones during the making of the show, and also worked with animals including tigers and chimpanzees.
Having risen to fame in the 1960s, Ron became a familiar face to viewers at home thanks to his role as Tarzan on NBC. During the show, which ran from 1966 to 1968, the actor was known for daring stunts - though the role wasn’t initially his. “They first tried to cast a former American football player called Mike Henry but he didn’t like chimpanzees and from the moment he got on set, things went south in a hurry,” he told the Express in 2013.
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