| |
|---|---|
| Ron Masak | |
| Credits | |
| Roles | Buck Irving Bates, Sr. Clancey Police Officer #2 |
| Biographical Information | |
| Birthdate | July 1, 1936 |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Death Date | October 20, 2022 (age 86) |
| Death Place | Thousand Oaks, California, United States |
Ron Masak portrayed four characters in five episodes of Bewitched (1969-1970).
Biography[]
Ron Masak was an American actor of film, television and stage. He was born on July 1, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois.
Masak attended Chicago City College, and studied theater there and at the Drama Guild. He made his acting debut with the Drama Guild in Chicago in Stalag 17 in 1954.
During the course of his career, he starred in twenty-five feature films and guest starred in some 350 television shows. Perhaps the most beloved character, and the one for which he was most famous, was that of Sheriff Mort Metzger on the hit television series, Murder, She Wrote. Given that he was also seen and heard in hundreds of television and radio commercials (he was named, "King of Commercials" by columnist James Bacon), it was no wonder that he was often introduced as one of America's most familiar faces.
Trained in the classics, Ron proved to be equally at home on stage or screen with Shakespeare or slapstick. He played everything from Stanley in Streetcar Named Desire and Sakini in Teahouse of the August Moon to Will Stockdale in No Time For Sergeants and Antony in Julius Caesar.
Masak also appeared in such films as Ice Station Zebra, Daddy's Gone A-Hunting, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Evel Knievel, A Time for Dying, Harper Valley PTA, Cops & Roberts and The Man from Clover Grove. It was during Clover Grove that he added credits as a lyric writer, as he wrote and sang the title song.
He played his first big screen villain starring in No Code of Conduct. Among his many television roles, he starred as Charley Wilson in his own summer series, Love Thy Neighbor, Count Dracula on The Monkees and was submitted for an Emmy nomination for one of his ten starring roles on Police Story. He was seen on Magnum P.I. and Webster and Columbo. His movies of the week included The Neighborhood, In the Glitter Palace, Pleasure Cove, Once an Eagle, The Law and Harry McGraw and Robert Altman's Nightmare in Chicago.
Masak was a celebrity panelist on such game shows as Password, Tattletales, Crosswits, Liar's Club, Showoffs and Match Game. He was a regular panelist on To Tell the Truth.
His private life was also one of varied interests and talents, devoting time and energy working with many charities. For eight years he was the Los Angeles host for the Jerry Lewis Telethon and recipient of MDA's first Humanitarian of the Year Award. He served as field announcer for the Special Olympics in support of special needs children, and was named Man of the Year by Volunteers Assisting Cancer Stricken Families. In addition, he contributed much time to work with Multiple Sclerosis, Cystic Fibrosis, Breast Cancer Awareness and hosted charity golf tournaments for among others, Childhelp USA, for whom he was a worldwide ambassador.
Relaxation for Ron included time spent with friends on the golf course, tennis court, baseball diamond, ski slopes or at Dodger Stadium. A fine athlete, Ron was once offered a professional baseball contract with The Chicago White Sox.
Masak's favorite role remained that of husband to his lovely wife Kay, and father to their six children as well as grandfather to their ten grandchildren. They resided in Oxnard, California.
Ron Masak died on October 20, 2022, in Thousand Oaks, California. He was 86.
Bewitched Credits[]
- Buck in "Samantha's Power Failure"
- Irving Bates, Sr. in "Just a Kid Again"
- Police Officer #2 in "The Salem Saga" and "Samantha's Hot Bedwarmer"
- Clancey in "Paul Revere Rides Again"
External Link[]
Source[]
- Ron Masak on the Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on March 15, 2020. Updated on December 14, 2022.