Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (2024)

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Ron Ely is dead. He became famous in 1966 through the series "Tarzan", where he played the titular character. His daughter said goodbye to him in an emotional post.

LOS ANGELES — Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series "Tarzan," died at age 86.

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (1)

Ely's daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that her father died Sept. 29 at his home in Los Alamos, Calif.

While Ron Ely was not quite as well known as Johnny Weismuller, the Olympic swimmer who played Tarzan in movies in the 1930s and 1940s, Ely helped form the image of the shirtless, loincloth-wearing character further immortalized by Disney.

In 2019, he tragically returned to the news when his 62-year-old wife, Valerie Lundeen Ely, was stabbed to death at their Santa Barbara, Calif., home by their 30-year-old son, Cameron Ely, who was subsequently shot and killed by police.

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (2)

Ron Ely, who was home during the stabbing, challenged the prosecutor's report that his son's shooting was justified.

"If he didn't have a gun or he didn't have a weapon, what was the basis of shooting him?" Ely's attorney John Burris said in 2020. "They may have very well thought he was involved in some other activity involving the mom. But that's not a basis to shoot and kill him. You have to have a lawful basis to do that."

In the early 1980s, Ely was host of the Miss America pageant and met Valerie, a Miss Florida, there. They married in 1984. The couple had three children, and Ely retired from acting to focus on his family in 2001.

"Late in life I had a young family. I decided to stop acting and work at home, as an author, that way I could be with the kids all through school and be able to attend their sports games and things," he told London's Daily Express in 2013, expressing interest in the time at reentering acting. He returned briefly in the 2014 TV movie "Expecting Amish."

Ely's Tarzan didn't speak in the monosyllabic grunts often associated with the character, originally created by novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs. He was instead an educated bachelor who grew sick of civilization and returned to the African jungle where he was raised.

Ely said in interviews that he did his own stunts on the show, working directly and precariously with tigers, chimpanzees and other wild animals that were Tarzan's friends and servants.

"They first tried to cast a former American football player called Mike Henry but he didn't like chimpanzees and from the moment he got on set, things went south in a hurry," Ely told London's Daily Express in 2013.

A chimp attacked Henry and injured his jaw when the show's pilot was being filmed, and Ely was cast in his place at the last moment.

"I met with them on a Monday and when they offered me the role I thought: 'No way do I want to step into that bear trap. You do Tarzan and you are stamped for life,'" Ely told the Daily Express. "Was I ever right! But my agent convinced me it was a quality show and was going to work. So on the Friday I was on a plane to Brazil to shoot the first episode."

Ely also played the title character in the 1975 action film "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze," but otherwise had mostly small roles in TV and films, including the 1958 movie musical "South Pacific."

He also wrote a pair of mystery novels featuring a detective named Jake Sands, 1994's "Night Shadows" and 1995's "East Beach."

Born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo, he married his high school sweetheart in 1959, but divorced two years later.

Along with Kirsten Casale Ely, he is survived by daughter Kaitland Ely Sweet.

Photos: Notable deaths in 2024

Glynis Johns

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (3)

Adan Canto

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (4)

Bud Harrelson

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (5)

Dejan Milojevic

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (6)

Jack Burke

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (7)

Mary Weiss

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (8)

Norman Jewison

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (9)

Charles Osgood

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (10)

Melanie Safka

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (11)

Chita Rivera

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (12)

Carl Weathers

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (13)

Wayne Kramer

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (14)

Ian Lavender

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (15)

Toby Keith

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (16)

Henry Fambrough

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (17)

Bob Edwards

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (18)

Don Gullett

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (19)

Lefty Driesell

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (20)

Andreas Brehme

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (21)

Golden Richards

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (22)

Richard Lewis

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (23)

Nikolai Ryzhkov

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (24)

Brian Mulroney

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (25)

Akira Toriyama

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (26)

Iris Apfel

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (27)

Andy Russell

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (28)

Ed Ott

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (29)

Chris Mortensen

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (30)

Steve Lawrence

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (31)

Naomi Barber King

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (32)

Thomas P. Stafford

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (34)

Chris Simon

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (35)

M. Emmet Walsh

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (36)

Laurent de Brunhoff

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (37)

Obit Angelos Baseball

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (38)

Joe Lieberman

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (39)

Louis Gossett Jr.

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (40)

Joe Flaherty

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (41)

John Sinclair

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (42)

Larry Lucchino

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (43)

Christopher Durang

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (44)

Jerry Grote

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (45)

Schappell Twins

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (46)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (47)

Ralph Puckett Jr.

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (48)

O.J. Simpson

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (49)

Eleanor Coppola

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (50)

Robert MacNeil

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (51)

Faith Ringgold

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (52)

Steve Sloan

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (53)

Ken Holtzman

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (54)

Carl Erskine

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (55)

Whitey Herzog

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (56)

Bob Graham

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (57)

Dickey Betts

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (58)

Mandisa

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (59)

David Pryor

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (60)

Roman Gabriel

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (61)

Andrew Davis

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (62)

Terry Anderson

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (63)

Bill Gladden

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (64)

Duane Eddy

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (65)

Paul Auster

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (66)

Dick Rutan

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (67)

Steve Albini

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (68)

Jimmy Johnson

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (69)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (70)

Roger Corman

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (71)

A.J. Smith

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (72)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (73)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (74)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (75)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (76)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (77)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (78)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (79)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (80)

Richard M. Sherman

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (82)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (83)

Albert Ruddy

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (84)

Larry Allen

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (85)

Janis Paige

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (86)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (87)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (88)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (89)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (90)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (91)

Bob Schul

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (92)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (93)

Donald Sutherland

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (94)

Bill Cobbs

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (95)

Kinky Friedman

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (96)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (97)

Robert Towne

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (98)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (99)

James Inhofe

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (100)

Joe Bonsall

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (101)

Shelley Duvall

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (102)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (103)

Richard Simmons

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (104)

Jacoby Jones

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (105)

Shannen Doherty

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (106)

James Sikking

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (107)

Pat Williams

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (108)

Lou Dobbs

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (109)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (110)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (111)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (112)

Bernice Johnson Reagon

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (113)

John Mayall

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (114)

Erica Ash

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (115)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (116)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (117)

Susan Wojcicki

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (118)

Frank Selvy

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (119)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (120)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (121)

Peter Marshall

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (122)

Alain Delon

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (123)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (124)

Al Attles

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (125)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (126)

James Darren

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (127)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (128)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (129)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (130)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (131)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (132)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (133)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (134)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (135)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (136)

Maggie Smith

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (137)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (138)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (139)

Ron Ely

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (140)

Dikembe Mutombo

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (141)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (142)

Pete Rose

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (143)

Cissy Houston

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (144)

Ethel Kennedy

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (145)

Liam Payne

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (146)

Mitzi Gaynor

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (147)

Fernando Valenzuela

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (148)

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Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86 (149)

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