Ralph Waite
| Ralph Waite | |
|---|---|
Waite at the 40th anniversary of The Waltons on September 29, 2012
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| Born |
June 22, 1928 White Plains, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 13, 2014 (aged 85) Palm Desert, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Age-related illnesses |
| Occupation | Actor, voice artist, political activist |
| Years active | 1954–2014 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 3 daughters (1 daughter deceased) |
| Parent(s) | Ralph H. Waite and Esther (née Mitchell) Waite |
Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 – February 13, 2014) was an American actor, voice artist, and political activist, best known for his role as John Walton, Sr. on The Waltons, which he occasionally directed. In addition, Waite appeared in many guest roles on numerous television series, lastly in a recurring role in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs, the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Waite, the eldest of five children, was born in White Plains, New York on June 22, 1928, to Ralph H. Waite, a construction engineer, and Esther (née Mitchell) Waite. Too young for World War II, Waite served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1948, then graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He worked briefly as a social worker. Waite earned a master's degree from Yale University Divinity School and was an ordained Presbyterian minister and religious editor at Harper & Row, New York before deciding on an acting career. He was a member of the Peninsula Players summer theater program during the 1963 season.
Waite made his Broadway debut in Blues for Mister Charlie, and would work on and off-Broadway steadily throughout the 1960s.
His film work included roles in Cool Hand Luke, Five Easy Pieces, Lawman, The Grissom Gang, Chato's Land and The Stone Killer. His later films included The Bodyguard, the part of Frank the helicopter pilot in the 1993 film Cliffhanger and as the mysterious Time Traveller in the 2002 Science Fiction Historical Drama film Timequest (film) .
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