Actor Ron Glass dies at 71.

[Bugman]

He had many roles over the years but I'll always remember him as the dapper Detective Harris from the Barney Miller show. RIP Mr. Glass.

http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/ron-glass-dead-barney-miller-firefly-dies-1201927179/

 

[Mitchell]

Very sad news. I'll always remember him for Barney Miller.

R..I P. Mr Glass.

 

[The Internet]

I don't understand why "Barney Miller" is such a forgotten show, at the time it was one of the best on TV and is STILL hilarious. Ron Glass was great in it. I don't understand why "Barney Miller" isn't mentioned alongside other landmark 70s comedies as "All In The Family", "Mash", etc. It was definitely topical and the writing was sharp and always funny.

Ron Glass was so great in that show because, to be honest about it, he was a completely different kind of black character, at least that's how I remember it. He was a very funny, multi-dimensional, non-stereotype of a character, and actor too (like many of the characters/actors on "Barney Miller"). His character was a sharp, intelligent, confident, wise-cracking detective and although the issues of racism came up in the show as a subject matter (usually as the punchline for a joke), you never felt Glass' character was a victim, was held down by anything, he was respected by his peers, he wasn't the butt of one-dimensional jokes (again, like all of the characters on "Barney Miller". Jack Su was another one.) He wasn't there to be "the black guy". Every line he said wasn't framed by the fact he was a black guy. It came up plenty (usually in the context of a joke, usually delivered by him), but it wasn't the ONLY thing his character was about, and you could go through multiple episodes where the issue doesn't come up. Great show, great actor.

 

[milagros317]

Rest In Peace, Mr. Glass.

 

[Bugman]

I don't understand why "Barney Miller" is such a forgotten show, at the time it was one of the best on TV and is STILL hilarious. Ron Glass was great in it. I don't understand why "Barney Miller" isn't mentioned alongside other landmark 70s comedies as "All In The Family", "Mash", etc. It was definitely topical and the writing was sharp and always funny.

Ron Glass was so great in that show because, to be honest about it, he was a completely different kind of black character, at least that's how I remember it. He was a very funny, multi-dimensional, non-stereotype of a character, and actor too (like many of the characters/actors on "Barney Miller"). His character was a sharp, intelligent, confident, wise-cracking detective and although the issues of racism came up in the show as a subject matter (usually as the punchline for a joke), you never felt Glass' character was a victim, was held down by anything, he was respected by his peers, he wasn't the butt of one-dimensional jokes (again, like all of the characters on "Barney Miller". Jack Su was another one.) He wasn't there to be "the black guy". Every line he said wasn't framed by the fact he was a black guy. It came up plenty (usually in the context of a joke, usually delivered by him), but it wasn't the ONLY thing his character was about, and you could go through multiple episodes where the issue doesn't come up. Great show, great actor.

'Net, you hit the nail right on the head.

 

[jediofthefeet]

I definitely will have to remember this famous death because it happened on my birthday. I wondered why his face flashed across the screen one night during a commercial break as I watched "Newhart".
So I went home, looked up his name, and there it was. I am in full agreement with everything @The Internet stated. I still watch the reruns on Antenna TV.

 

[ticklishscribe]

"What the hell is this? A bagpipe on a field of tweed? You get to work and get me back to Africa!"

A memorable line from a very memorable show. So long Ron.

 

[rdhd]

Mr. Glass was great in that series... He didn't play a dumb, ghetto-based black man (look at some of the other shows with blacks at the time), but was more white than the white characters. Probably why he doesn't get much credit for his role. RIP Ron, you done did well.

 

[kevin_kidnapped]

That show had all well cast characters including Ron Glass. As The Internet has said, it should be right up there as one of the all time great sit coms of the 70's. The writers and actors blended seamlessly together. There were several ethnic characters in that squad room, yet the stories were't written solely around their ethnicity, but rather how they all worked together and interacted with each other. It truly was all about their roles in that show with Barney, Fish, Dietrich, Harris, Wojo, Nick, Chano, Levitt, and the impressed with himself Inspector Luger. Those guys in the squad room of the old one two represented just about every type of character you could find in the NYPD back then. Well written, well directed, and well acted. RIP Ron Glass and thanks for all those entertaining episodes.