Tarzan star Ron Ely passes away at 86

Ron Ely, the US actor best known for his portrayal of Tarzan in the 1960s television series, has passed away at the age of 86.

In an emotional Instagram post, his daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, expressed her grief, saying, “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad.”

The iconic “Tarzan” series aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968, during which Ely endured numerous injuries and was even attacked by animals while performing his own stunts.

After retiring from acting in 2001, Ely transitioned to writing, publishing two mystery novels. He made a brief return to the screen in 2014 with the TV film Expecting Amish, where he played an Amish elder.

In the 1980s, Ely appeared in popular shows such as The Love Boat and Wonder Woman, alongside Lynda Carter.

Born in Texas in 1938, Ely married his high school sweetheart in 1959, but the marriage lasted only two years. He later hosted the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s, where he met his second wife, Valerie Lundeen. They had three children together.

Tragically, Lundeen was fatally stabbed by their son, Cameron, in 2019, leading to Cameron being shot by police after they deemed him a threat. Ron Ely subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the police, but the court ruled that the officers acted in self-defense.

Ely died at his home in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara, California, on September 29. In her tribute, his daughter shared, “My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man, and leader.” She added, “I knew him as my dad—and what a heaven-sent honor that has been. To me, he hung the moon.”