Actor Ron Glass grew up in Evansville, Indiana, the Hoosier State. There, he attended High School at St. Francis Seminary. His high school nickname was “Big G.” He graduated from high school in 1964, and went on to the University of Evansville. A good student, he thought at that time he wanted to be an actor, and tried out for a college play and was accepted. He earned a double major and received a BA degree in both drama and literature.
After he left college, Ron made his stage debut at the Minneapolis Guthrie Theater. After that, he worked at a number of US and Canadian regional theaters. Moving to Hollywood, Ron had numerous guest appearances on television, starting with Sanford and Son, back in 1972. In 1975, he was cast as Detective Ron Harris in the popular sitcom Barney Miller.
Throughout his career, Ron received many awards. There were many theatre awards, and he was twice nominated for Emmy Awards. The University of Evansville awarded him their highest commendation, the Medal of Honor, for his work in television and film. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the “Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center.”
In 2002, Ron landed a role as Shepherd Book, one of the main characters, on the Joss Whedon hit sci-fi show, Firefly. There were 15 episodes, and the show generated a huge fan base.
In 2005, Glass reprised his role from Firefly in the continuation movie, Serenity. Firefly costume designer Shawna Trpcic had originally designed a loose, baggy casual outfit for Shepherd Book to wear on-ship. When Trpcic saw what great shape Ron Glass was in, she decided to put him in a tight t-shirt instead, to show off his chest.
Interview Source: The Student Operated Press
