RIP Ron Glass, 71...

'Barney Miller' star Ron Glass dies at 71

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Actor Ron Glass, who broke into theater while a student at the University of Evansville and later starred in the television series Barney Miller and Firefly, has died at age 71.

Glass died Friday of respiratory failure, his agent, Jeffrey Leavett, told The Associated Press on Saturday.

“Ron was a private, gentle and caring man,” said Leavett, a longtime friend of the actor. “He was an absolute delight to watch on screen. Words cannot adequately express my sorrow.”

Glass was a cast member on Barney Miller during the show’s entire run. On the show, which was set in a New York Police Department station in Greenwich Village, he played Ron Harris, an intellectual, fashionable detective who also dabbled as an author. In 1982, the role earned Glass an Emmy nomination in the Supporting Actor category.

The show aired from 1975-1982, winning two Golden Globes and two Emmy Awards for best comedy series. The ensemble cast included Hal Linden as precinct Capt. Barney Miller, Max Gail as Detective Stan ‘Wojo’ Wojciehowicz, and Abe Vigoda as Detective Phil Fish.