Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
June 21, 1938
Place of Birth:
Hereford, Texas, USA
Social Media
Ron Ely
Biography
Ronald Pierce "Ron" Ely (born June 21, 1938) was an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas. Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966 NBC series Tarzan and for playing the lead role in the 1975 film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.
Ely obtained the role after playing various bit-parts, including an airplane navigator in the 1958 film South Pacific and a guest-starring role on Barbara Eden's first television series, the romantic comedy How to Marry a Millionaire. Ely's height (6' 4") and athletic build also won him the title role in the 1975 film Doc Savage, as well as various guest shots. In a 1978 Fantasy Island episode, for example, Ely portrayed Mark Antony in a Roman military short tunic and breastplate that displayed almost as much of his physique as his Tarzan costume had.
From 1960-61, Ely starred in the series The Aquanauts. In the 1980s, Ely hosted the musical game show Face the Music. Additionally, Ely hosted the 1980 and 1981 Miss America Pageants, replacing longtime host Bert Parks.
In the 1990s, Ely’s roles included a retired Superman in the 1991 two-part episode "The Road to Hell" of the Superboy syndicated television series, and a big game hunter named Gordon Shaw in the 1992 episode "Tarzan the Hunted" of the syndicated Tarzán TV series (starring Wolf Larson).
In recent years Ely has embarked on a successful writing career and has penned two mystery novels featuring private eye Jake Sands: Night Shadows (1994) and East Beach (1995). Until about 2001, Ely made appearances on popular TV shows, his most recent being Sheena and Renegade. He is now retired from acting.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Ron Ely, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Tarzan Revisited | Self |
| 2017 | Tarzan: Lord of the Movies | Tarzan (Archive Footage) |
| 2014 | Expecting Amish | Elder Miller |
| 1998 | In Search of Tarzan with Jonathan Ross | Himself |
| 1978 | Slavers | Steven Hamilton |
| 1976 | Mitgift | Kurt |
| 1975 | Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze | Clark 'Doc' Savage Jr. |
| 1972 | Alleluja & Sartana Are Sons... Sons of God | Hallelujah |
| 1972 | Cry of the Black Wolves | Bill Robinson |
| 1971 | Tarzan and the Perils of Charity Jones | Tarzan |
| 1970 | Tarzan's Deadly Silence | Tarzan |
| 1968 | Tarzan and the Four O'Clock Army | Tarzan |
| 1967 | Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion | Tarzan |
| 1967 | The Mountains of the Moon | Tarzan |
| 1966 | The Night of the Grizzly | Ted Curry |
| 1966 | Once Before I Die | Soldier |
| 1959 | The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker | Wilbur Fielding |
| 1958 | The Fiend Who Walked the West | Deputy Jim Dyer |
| 1958 | South Pacific | Navigator |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sheena | Bixby |
| 1995 | Marker | |
| 1992 | The Hat Squad | |
| 1992 | Renegade | |
| 1992 | Renegade | Reverend McClain |
| 1987 | Sea Hunt | Mike Nelson |
| 1986 | L.A. Law | Mr. McIntyre |
| 1986 | Blacke's Magic | |
| 1982 | Matt Houston | |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Jim |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Ted Cole |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Steve Swaggart / Darryl Brewster |
| 1975 | Wonder Woman | Bill Michaels |
| 1969 | The Courtship of Eddie's Father | Ronald |
| 1967 | Ironside | Scott Bradley |
| 1966 | Tarzan | Tarzan |
| 1965 | Die Rudi Carrell Show | |
| 1960 | Thriller | Lt. Mike Hudson |
| 1960 | The Aquanauts | Mike Madison |
| 1959 | Stars in the Ring | Self |
| 1958 | Steve Canyon | Pete Randall |
| 1955 | The Millionaire | Jim Phillips |
| 1955 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp |