Ron Ely, the American actor famous for his portrayal of Tarzan in the 1960s TV series, has passed away at the age of 86. His daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, expressed her grief on Instagram, stating, “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad.”
The show aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968, during which Ely performed many of his own stunts, suffering several broken bones and even facing animal attacks.
After retiring from acting in 2001, Ron Ely shifted his focus to writing and published two mystery novels. He made a brief return to the screen in 2014 with the TV film Expecting Amish, where he portrayed an Amish elder.
In the 1980s, Ely appeared in popular TV shows such as the cruise ship comedy The Love Boat and Wonder Woman, starring Lynda Carter.
Born in Texas in 1938, Ely married his high school sweetheart in 1959, but they divorced just two years later.
Ron Ely was also recognized for hosting the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s, where he met his wife, Valerie. Together, they had three children.
Ely passed away at his home in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara, California, on September 29. In an Instagram post announcing his death, his daughter expressed her admiration, saying, “My father was someone people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man, and leader.” She added, “I knew him as my dad, and it has been a heavenly honor. To me, he hung the moon.”