Ronald Pierce Ely (born June 21, 1938)[1] is an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo.
Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966 NBC series Tarzan and for playing the lead role in the film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975).
Actor
Ely won the role of Tarzan in 1966 after playing supporting parts in films such as South Pacific (1958), as an airplane navigator, The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958) and The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959).[2]
During the filming of Tarzan, Ely did virtually all of his stunts for the series, and suffered two dozen major injuries in the process, including two broken shoulders and various lion bites.[3]
Ely's height (6'4") and athletic build also won him the title role in the film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), as well as various guest shots. He was in five episodes of the series Fantasy Island, in one, in 1978, Ely portrayed Mark Antony in a Roman military short tunic and breastplate.[4] Also in 1978, Ely starred in the Wonder Woman (TV series) 2 part episode The Deadly Sting.
From 1960-61, Ely starred on the series The Aquanauts, and the western adventure film The Night of the Grizzly (1966) opposite Clint Walker, and later appeared in Jürgen Goslar's slavery movie Slavers (1978). In the 1980s, he hosted the musical game show Face the Music, as well as the 1980 and 1981 Miss America Pageants, replacing longtime host Bert Parks. Later in the decade, Ely starred in a 1987–88 revival of the 1960s adventure series Sea Hunt as Mike Nelson, the role played by Lloyd Bridges in the original series.[2]
In the 1990s, Ely’s roles included a retired Superman from an alternative reality 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). Until about 2001, Ely made appearances on such television shows as Sheena and Renegade.[2]
Ely had retired from acting in 2001, but as reported by the IMDb, he returned to acting with an appearance in the television movie Expecting Amish (2014).[2]
Writer
Ely embarked on a professional writing career and has authored two published mystery novels featuring private eye Jake Sands: Night Shadows (1994) and East Beach (1995).[citation needed]
Personal life
Ely was married to the former Miss Florida, Valerie Lundeen. They have three children,[5] Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron. On October 15, 2019, Valerie was found murdered at the Hope Ranch residential community along the Santa Barbara coast where the couple lived.[6] A suspect was killed by police,[7] who were called to the scene for a "family disturbance". Ely was unharmed in the incident. Cameron Ely was shot and killed by police.[6]
Filmography (Partial)
Cry of the Black Wolves (1972), as Bill Robinson
100 Fäuste und ein Vaterunser (1972), as Alleluja
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), as Doc Savage
MitGift [de] (1976), as Kurt
Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966 NBC series Tarzan and for playing the lead role in the film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975).
Actor
Ely won the role of Tarzan in 1966 after playing supporting parts in films such as South Pacific (1958), as an airplane navigator, The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958) and The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959).[2]
During the filming of Tarzan, Ely did virtually all of his stunts for the series, and suffered two dozen major injuries in the process, including two broken shoulders and various lion bites.[3]
Ely's height (6'4") and athletic build also won him the title role in the film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), as well as various guest shots. He was in five episodes of the series Fantasy Island, in one, in 1978, Ely portrayed Mark Antony in a Roman military short tunic and breastplate.[4] Also in 1978, Ely starred in the Wonder Woman (TV series) 2 part episode The Deadly Sting.
From 1960-61, Ely starred on the series The Aquanauts, and the western adventure film The Night of the Grizzly (1966) opposite Clint Walker, and later appeared in Jürgen Goslar's slavery movie Slavers (1978). In the 1980s, he hosted the musical game show Face the Music, as well as the 1980 and 1981 Miss America Pageants, replacing longtime host Bert Parks. Later in the decade, Ely starred in a 1987–88 revival of the 1960s adventure series Sea Hunt as Mike Nelson, the role played by Lloyd Bridges in the original series.[2]
In the 1990s, Ely’s roles included a retired Superman from an alternative reality 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). Until about 2001, Ely made appearances on such television shows as Sheena and Renegade.[2]
Ely had retired from acting in 2001, but as reported by the IMDb, he returned to acting with an appearance in the television movie Expecting Amish (2014).[2]
Writer
Ely embarked on a professional writing career and has authored two published mystery novels featuring private eye Jake Sands: Night Shadows (1994) and East Beach (1995).[citation needed]
Personal life
Ely was married to the former Miss Florida, Valerie Lundeen. They have three children,[5] Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron. On October 15, 2019, Valerie was found murdered at the Hope Ranch residential community along the Santa Barbara coast where the couple lived.[6] A suspect was killed by police,[7] who were called to the scene for a "family disturbance". Ely was unharmed in the incident. Cameron Ely was shot and killed by police.[6]
Filmography (Partial)
Cry of the Black Wolves (1972), as Bill Robinson
100 Fäuste und ein Vaterunser (1972), as Alleluja
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), as Doc Savage
MitGift [de] (1976), as Kurt
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