Tarzan star Ron Ely dies aged 86
Ron Ely, the American actor renowned for his portrayal of Tarzan in the 1960s television series, has passed away at the age of 86.
In an Instagram post, his daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, expressed her grief, stating, “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known—and I have lost my dad.”
“Tarzan” aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968, during which Ely sustained several broken bones and was reportedly attacked by animals while performing his own stunts.
After stepping away from acting in 2001, Ely turned to writing and published two mystery novels.
He made a brief return to the screen in 2014 with a role in the television film “Expecting Amish,” portraying an Amish elder.
In the 1980s, Ely appeared in several popular TV shows, including the cruise ship comedy “The Love Boat” and “Wonder Woman,” alongside star Lynda Carter.
Born in Texas in 1938, Ely married his high school sweetheart in 1959 but divorced two years later. He also hosted the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s, where he met his wife, Valerie, with whom he had three children.
Ely died at his home in Los Alamos in Santa Barbara, California on 29 September.
Announcing the death in an Instagram post on Wednesday, the actor’s daughter said: “My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader.”
She added: “I knew him as my dad – and what a heaven sent honour that has been. To me, he hung the moon.”
