Popular Actor Died Of Natural Causes At Home
Ronald Robert Harper was born Jan. 12, 1933, in Turtle Creek, Penn. After high school, he studied at Princeton University on a scholarship and was awarded a fellowship to continue his studies at Harvard Law School, but he chose to pursue acting instead.
His first screen credit was an episode of the series Kraft Theatre in 1955. From 1959 to 1960, Harper, who had studied with Lee Strasberg, served as Paul Newman’s understudy in Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth, directed by Elia Kazan on Broadway.
Harper went on small roles in the series Tales of Wells Fargo, Thriller, Wagon Train, The Deputy, The Tall Man, and Shotgun Slade before nabbing a breakout role as Det. Bert Kling in 30 episodes of 87th Precinct, which also starred the likes of Norman Fell, Robert Lansing, Gregory Walcott, and Gena Rowlands.