Different generations have their own image of actor Ron Glass, whether it's his role from US sitcom Barney Miller or as Shepherd Book in Firefly and its film spin-off, Serenity. A man of warmth and charisma, he has died at the age of 71.
Born in Evansville, Indiana, Glass studied drama and literature at his local university, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, and, years later, was awarded the institution's Medal Of Honor. Picking up the acting bug whilst in college, he performed at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis before heading to try his hand at TV and movies in Los Angeles.
He made his TV debut in 1973 with a guest role in All In The Family, and would go on to a successful string of minor parts in TV series including Good Times, the original Hawaii Five-O, Sanford And Son, The Streets Of San Francisco and Murder, She Wrote. Glass' big breakout role was aspiring writer Ron Harris, a mainstay of police comedy Barney Miller. He continued to work steadily on a variety of shows, but hit the radar again when Joss Whedon cast him in Firefly as the gentle, yet enigmatic Shepherd Derrial Book, the holy man who joined the motley crew in the short-lived sci-fi series. He went on to reprise the role in the movie version, Serenity, which continued the story.
His other big screen roles included appearances in Houseguest, It's My Party, Lakeview Terrace and the 2010 version of Death At A Funeral. He died on Friday of respiratory failure and tributes have been flooding in from former co-workers and friends.