LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
Actor Ron Glass has died. He was 71. Glass is best remembered for his role on the sitcom "Barney Miller," where he played wry NYPD Detective Ron Harris.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BARNEY MILLER")
RON GLASS: (As Ron Harris) Hello. Yes, ma'am. Well, I'm real sorry about the interference, but there's nothing we can do about pigeons on your antenna.
(LAUGHTER)
GLASS: (As Ron Harris) Yes, ma'am. Well, you see, we tried arresting them once. But the handcuffs kept slipping off their little feet.
WERTHEIMER: That role earned Glass an Emmy nomination in 1982. Raised in Evansville, Ind., Ron Glass received a degree in drama and literature from the University of Evansville. After college, he moved to Minneapolis and acted in regional theater before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career on screen.
Glass was a prolific television actor. His career began with a guest appearance on "All In The Family" in 1973. He went on to appear in more than 50 television shows, including "Sanford And Son," "Friends," "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Firefly." Glass died of respiratory failure on Friday night, according to his agent Jeffrey Leavitt, who added, Ron was a private, gentle and caring man. He was an absolute delight to watch on screen. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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