American actor Ron Glass, best known for his roles in the police sitcom Barney Miller and Joss Whedon’s Firefly, has passed away aged 71, his agent has revealed.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my dear friend and client Ron Glass,” said Jeffrey Leavitt. “Ron passed late last night of respiratory failure. Ron was a private, gentle and caring man. He was an absolute delight to watch on screen. Words cannot adequately express my sorrow.”
Glass began his acting career on the small screen in the 1970s and enjoyed his breakthrough when he was cast as Detective Ron Harris in Barney Miller, which aired between 1975 and 1982 and saw him nominated for an Emmy Award. He would go on to guest in a host of TV shows, and would also play Shepherd Derrial Book in 2002’s Firefly and the 2005 feature film Serenity. He also reunited with Joss Whedon for the pilot episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where he played Dr. Streiten, one of the doctors responsible for resurrecting Agent Coulson.
