Ron Ely Bio – Ron Ely Wiki
Ron Ely born Ronald Pierce Ely, is an American actor and novelist. He is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966 NBC series Tarzan and for playing the lead role in the film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975).
In the mid-1950s, he enrolled at the University of Texas, but he soon made his way to California. After signing with 20th Century Fox in the late 1950s, Ely appeared in small roles in several films and television shows, including the films South Pacific and The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker and the TV series How to Marry a Millionaire (1957-1959; with Merry Anders, Barbara Eden, and Lori Nelson).
In 1960 Ely was cast in the CBS series The Aquanauts, but the show was canceled after just one season. Several more films followed, but his big break didn’t come until 1966, when the 6’4″ actor was cast in the role of Tarzan for the TV series of the same name.
Ely had tried out for the role of Tarzan after Jock Mahoney abandoned the role in 1963, but he lost out to football player-turned-actor Mike Henry. Henry made three Tarzan films and was originally cast for the series, but he declined it after some bad experiences while shooting his first Tarzan film. Ely was then cast in the role.
After a number of attempts to create a Tarzan TV series had failed, producer Sy Weintraub finally was able to bring Tarzan to the small screen in 1966. Tarzan aired on NBC beginning in September 1966 and lasted until September 1968. Throughout the run of the series, several films were released, mostly using footage from the series.
In the early 1970s, Ely made a number of films in Germany, where he became very popular in a brief series of adventure films. His next hit would come in 1975, with the release of Doc Savage.
Ron Ely Age
Ely was born on June 21, 1938 in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo.
Ron Ely Wife
Ron Ely married his first wife Cathy Ely in 1959 until their divorce in 1961. He married his second wife Valerie Lundeen in 1984 until her death on October 15, 2019.
Ron Ely Children
Ely and Lundeen have three children together, Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron.
Ron Ely Net Worth
Ron Ely’s net worth is estimated to be $7 million.
Ron Ely Height
He stands at a height of 6 feet 4¾ inches (1.95 m).