Actor. He was best known for his acting roles as Detective Ron Harris on the television series "Barney Miller" from 1975 to 1982 and the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in the short-lived 2002 science fiction series "Firefly" and its sequel film "Serenity." Ron attended Mater Dei High School in Evansville, Indiana, then transferred in his junior year to St. Francis Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied drama and literature at the University of Evansville. He began his acting career in the early 1970s with appearances on various television series such as "Sanford and Son," "Hawaii Five-O," "The Bob Newhart Show," "Good Times," "Maude," and "All in the Family." In 1975, he found his breakout role on the sitcom "Barney Miller" and continued with the show until its end in 1982. He played a dapper and ambitious intellectual police detective who was obsessed with launching his career as a writer. He earned a Emmy Award nomination in 1982 for his performance on the show. After "Barney Miller," he went on to appear on such television series as "The New Odd Couple," "227," "Family Matters," "Amen," "Rhythm & Blues," "Mr. Rhodes," "Teen Angel," "Friends," "Firefly," and "Shark." He also appeared in such films as "Deep Space" (1988), "Serenity" (2005), "Lakeview Terrace" (2008), and "Death at a Funeral" (2010). He was a member of the Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist organization.
Actor. He was best known for his acting roles as Detective Ron Harris on the television series "Barney Miller" from 1975 to 1982 and the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in the short-lived 2002 science fiction series "Firefly" and its sequel film "Serenity." Ron attended Mater Dei High School in Evansville, Indiana, then transferred in his junior year to St. Francis Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied drama and literature at the University of Evansville. He began his acting career in the early 1970s with appearances on various television series such as "Sanford and Son," "Hawaii Five-O," "The Bob Newhart Show," "Good Times," "Maude," and "All in the Family." In 1975, he found his breakout role on the sitcom "Barney Miller" and continued with the show until its end in 1982. He played a dapper and ambitious intellectual police detective who was obsessed with launching his career as a writer. He earned a Emmy Award nomination in 1982 for his performance on the show. After "Barney Miller," he went on to appear on such television series as "The New Odd Couple," "227," "Family Matters," "Amen," "Rhythm & Blues," "Mr. Rhodes," "Teen Angel," "Friends," "Firefly," and "Shark." He also appeared in such films as "Deep Space" (1988), "Serenity" (2005), "Lakeview Terrace" (2008), and "Death at a Funeral" (2010). He was a member of the Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist organization.
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
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