Ron Ely, who played Tarzan in the 1960s TV series, has died aged 86.
The actor passed away at his home in Los Alamos, California, on 29 September, his daughter Kirsten Casale Ely said.
The 6’4″, muscular actor helped form the modern image of author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ early 20th century fictional creation, Tarzan.
He also played the title character in the 1975 action film Doc Savage: The Man Of Bronze.
He said in interviews he did his own stunts on Tarzan and worked directly with the tigers, chimpanzees and other animals that were the shirtless character’s friends.
“They first tried to cast a former American football player called Mike Henry but he did not like chimpanzees and from the moment he got on set, things went south in a hurry,” Ely said in an interview with the Daily Express in 2013.
Henry was attacked by a chimp while the pilot was being filmed, which injured his jaw and resulted in Ely being cast as his replacement at the last moment.
“I met with them on a Monday and when they offered me the role I thought, ‘no way do I want to step into that bear trap. You do Tarzan and you are stamped for life’,” Ely told the Express.
“Was I ever right! But my agent convinced me it was a quality show and was going to work. So on the Friday I was on a plane to Brazil to shoot the first episode.”
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Ely as Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze in a passionate embrace with Pamela Hensley. Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
Family tragedy
In 2019 Ely’s 62-year-old wife Valerie Lundeen Ely was stabbed to death at their home in Santa Barbara, California, by their son Cameron Ely.
The 30-year-old was then shot and killed by police. An autopsy on Cameron, a former college American Football star, revealed he was in the early stages of CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that can be caused by repeated blows to the head.
Ely, who was at home during the stabbing, challenged the prosecutor’s report that said his son’s shooting was justified.
Ely continued to appear in a variety of TV and film roles, wrote two detective novels, and twice hosted the Miss America beauty pageant.
He essentially retired in 2001 to spend more time with his family.
He is survived by his daughters, Kirsten Casale Ely and Kaitland Ely Sweet.
