US actor Ron Ely, best known for playing the role of Tarzan in the 1960s television show of the same name, has died aged 86.
Ely helped form the image of the shirtless, loincloth-wearing character further immortalised by Disney.
"He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader," Kirsten Ely said in an Instagram post. "He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person - there was something truly magical about him."
"They first tried to cast a former American football player called Mike Henry but he did not like chimpanzees and from the moment he got on set, things went south in a hurry," Ely said in an interview with the Daily Express in 2013.
Henry was attacked by a chimp while the pilot was being filmed, which injured his jaw and resulted in Ely being cast as his replacement 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 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."
Family Tragedy
In 2019 Ely's 62-year-old wife Valerie Lundeen Ely was stabbed to death at their home in Santa Barbara, California, by their son Cameron Ely.
The 30-year-old was then shot and killed by police. An autopsy on Cameron, a former college American Football star, revealed he was in the early stages of CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that can be caused by repeated blows to the head.
Ely, who was at home during the stabbing, challenged the prosecutor's report that said 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 lawyer 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."
A Life Beyond Tarzan
Ely continued to appear in a variety of TV and film roles, wrote two detective novels, and twice hosted the Miss America beauty pageant.
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.
He essentially retired in 2001 to spend more time with his family.
"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 the Daily Express in 2013, expressing interest at the time in re-entering acting. He would return briefly in the 2014 TV movie Expecting Amish.
After retiring from acting in 2001, Ely became an author and published two mystery novels.
Ely made a brief return to acting for one television film, Expecting Amish, in 2014, where he played an Amish elder.
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 had grown sick of civilization and had returned to the African jungle where he was raised.
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.
A Lasting Legacy
Ely's passing marks the end of an era for fans of the classic Tarzan series. His portrayal of the iconic character helped define the image of the jungle hero for a generation. Beyond his screen work, Ely was a beloved figure who touched the lives of many through his kindness and generosity.
He is survived by his daughters, Kirsten Casale Ely and Kaitland Ely Sweet.
Ely's life was a testament to the power of perseverance and resilience. Despite facing personal challenges, he remained a beacon of hope and inspiration for his family and fans. His legacy will live on through his iconic portrayal of Tarzan and his enduring contributions to the entertainment industry.
