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Ralph Waite

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Ralph White.

Ralph Waite
Waite at the 40th anniversary of The Waltons on September 29, 2012
Born(1928-06-22)June 22, 1928
White Plains, New York, U.S.
DiedFebruary 13, 2014(2014-02-13) (aged 85)
Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Resting placeWhite Plains Rural Cemetery
Alma materBucknell University and Yale Divinity School
Occupation(s)Actor, political activist
Years active1954–2014
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Beverly Waite
​
​
(m. 1951; div. 1966)​
Kerry Shear Waite
​
​
(m. 1977; div. 1981)​
Linda East
​
(m. 1982)​
Children3

Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 – February 13, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his lead role as John Walton Sr. on The Waltons (1972–1981), which he occasionally directed. He later had recurring roles as two other heroic fathers; in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs, the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and in Bones, as Seeley Booth's grandfather. Waite had supporting roles in movies such as Cool Hand Luke (1967), Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Grissom Gang (1971), The Bodyguard (1992), and Cliffhanger (1993).[1]

Early life

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Waite, the eldest of five children, was born in White Plains, New York, on June 22, 1928, to Ralph H. Waite, a construction engineer, and Esther (née Mitchell) Waite.[2] He graduated from White Plains Senior High School in 1946. Too young for World War II, Waite served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1948, then graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He worked briefly as a social worker. Waite earned a master's degree from Yale University's Divinity School and was an ordained Presbyterian minister and religious editor at Harper & Row, New York, before deciding on an acting career.[3] He was a member of the Peninsula Players summer theater program during the 1963 season.[4]

In 1963, Waite made his Broadway debut as the Minister in Marathon '33, written and directed by June Havoc.[5] He next appeared in Blues for Mister Charlie, and worked on- and off-Broadway steadily throughout the 1960s.[6]

Film work

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From The Waltons (1972), L-R: Ralph Waite, Richard Thomas, and Michael Learned

His film work included roles in Cool Hand Luke, Five Easy Pieces, Lawman, Kid Blue, The Grissom Gang, Chato's Land, and The Stone Killer. His later films included The Bodyguard, the part of Frank the helicopter pilot in the 1993 film Cliffhanger, and as the mysterious time traveler in Timequest (2002).[7] He also voiced Shadow in Homeward Bound II.

Later stage work

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Waite scored a personal triumph when he created the role of Will Kidder in the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Young Man from Atlanta, by playwright Horton Foote, in 1995.[8]

Personal life

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Waite was married three times, two marriages ending in divorce. He had three daughters from his first marriage. His eldest daughter, Sharon Waite, died of leukemia when she was 9 years old in 1964.[9] Liam Waite, one of Waite's stepsons, is also an actor. After 50 years away from organized religion, Waite returned in 2010 and became an active member of Spirit of the Desert Presbyterian Fellowship in Palm Desert, California.[3]

Political involvement

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Waite ran unsuccessfully for Congress in California as a Democrat on three occasions: In 1990, he challenged veteran GOP incumbent Al McCandless in the Riverside County-based 37th district, losing by 5%. In 1998, Waite ran in the special election for the then-Palm Springs-based 44th district left vacant by the death of incumbent Sonny Bono.[10] He was defeated in that election by Mary Bono, Sonny's widow, and lost to her again that November.[11]

On October 21, 1991, Waite introduced former California Governor Jerry Brown prior to the latter's speech announcing his candidacy for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.[12]

Electoral history

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Year Office Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1990 U.S House of Representatives
District 37 		Jeffrey Jacobs 29%
Ralph Waite 71% 		103,961 44.8% Bud Mathewson 27%
Al McCandless 73% 		115,469 49.8%
1998 U.S House of Representatives
District 44 (special election) 		Ralph Waite 24,228 28.8% Mary Bono 53,755 64%
1998 U.S House of Representatives
District 39 (general election) 		Ralph Waite 57,697 35.7% Mary Bono 97,013 60.1%

Death

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On February 13, 2014, Waite died in Palm Desert, California, of natural causes at age 85.[13] He is buried in White Plains Rural Cemetery in New York. The NCIS episode "Honor Thy Father", the season 11 finale, is dedicated to Waite's memory.

Filmography

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Film

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Director

Actor

Year Title Role Notes
1967 Cool Hand Luke "Alibi"
1968 A Lovely Way to Die Sean Magruder
1969 Last Summer Peter's Father Uncredited
1970 Five Easy Pieces Carl Fidelio Dupea
1971 The Pursuit of Happiness Detective Cromie
The Sporting Club Olson
Lawman Jack Dekker
The Grissom Gang Mace
1972 Chato's Land Elias Hooker
Hot Summer Week John
The Magnificent Seven Ride! Jim MacKay
1973 Trouble Man Pete Cockrell
Kid Blue Drummer
The Stone Killer Mathews
1980 On the Nickel C.G.
1980 Angel City Jared Teeter
1988 Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood The Narrator
1989 Red Earth, White Earth Martin
1990 Crash and Burn Lathan Hooks
Desperate Hours
1992 The Bodyguard Herb Farmer
1993 Cliffhanger Ranger Frank
1994 Sioux City Drew McDermott
1996 Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco Shadow Voice
2000 Timequest The Time Traveler
2002 Sunshine State Furman Temple
2004 Silver City Casey Lyle
2010 Letters to God Cornelius Perryfield
2011 25 Hill Ed
2012 Gabe the Cupid Dog R.L. Dutton

Television

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Director

Year Title Notes
1973-1980 The Waltons 16 episodes
1983 The Mississippi Episode "Mardi Gras"

Actor

Year Title Role Notes
1966 Look Up and Live Host
1967–1968 N.Y.P.D. Robert Stryker
1970 Bonanza Hoby Episode "The Lady and the Mark"
1971 Nichols Sam Burton
1972–1981 The Waltons John Walton Sr.
1977 Roots Slater, First Mate
1978 CBS: On the Air Himself
1983 The Mississippi Ben Walker
1987 Reading Rainbow
1989 Murder, She Wrote District Attorney Paul Robbins
1994 Time Trax Lamont Carson
1996 Murder One Malcolm Dietrich
1997 Orleans Otis Leblanc
1999 The Outer Limits Gene Morton
Chicken Soup for the Soul Dad
Rocket Power Doc Freimouth Voice
2001 All My Children Bart
2003–2005 Carnivàle Reverend Norman Balthus
2004 The Practice Walter Josephson
2007 Cold Case Felton Metz
2008 CSI Sheriff Montgomery Episode "Young Man with a Horn"
2008–2013 NCIS Jackson Gibbs 8 episodes
2008 The Cleaner Jonus Mullins
2011 Kickin' It Principal Keener 7 episodes
2009–2014 Days of Our Lives Father Matt
2009 Grey's Anatomy Irving Waller Episode "Tainted Obligation"
2009–2013 Bones Hank Booth 3 episodes
2011 Off the Map Abuelito Episode "On the Mean Streets of San Miguel"

TV movies

Year Title Role Notes
1967 The Borgia Stick The Man From Toledo
1973 The Thanksgiving Story
1976 The Secret Life of John Chapman John Chapman
1977 Red Alert Henry Stone
1977 Waiting for Godot Pozzo
1980 OHMS Floyd Wing
1980 Angel City Jared Teeter
1981 The Gentleman Bandit Father Bernard Pagano
1982-1999 A Wedding on Walton's Mountain John Walton Sr. Reunion movies
Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain
A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain
A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion
A Walton Wedding
A Walton Easter
1984 A Good Sport Tommy O'Bannon Also executive producer
Growing Pains Rob
1985 Crime of Innocence Frank Hayward
1990 Sparks: The Price of Passion Orville Lemon
1994 Sin & Redemption Cal Simms
Keys Dr. C.J. Halligan
1995 A Season of Hope Sam Hackett
1997 The Third Twin Senator Proust
2000 The President's Man President Mathews
2001 Spirit Jacob
2003 Blessings Sheriff
2007 Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses Jacob

Brawley

2009 Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective Grandpa Ventura

Theatre

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References

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  1. ^ "Ralph Waite will be honored in 'NCIS' season finale". USA Today. February 24, 2014.
  2. ^ "Ralph Waite profile at". Filmreference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Presbyterian Church (USA) – Ralph Waite finds a home in church". Pcusa.org. August 6, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  4. ^ Peninsula Players 65th Anniversary Program, 1999
  5. ^ Playbill, vol. 1 (January 1964) No. 1, Marathon ’33, p. 27.
  6. ^ Byrge, Duane (February 13, 2014). "'The Waltons' Actor Ralph Waite Dead at 85". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  7. ^ "R.I.P. 'The Waltons' Patriarch Ralph Waite". Deadline Hollywood. February 13, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  8. ^ Canby, Vincent (January 30, 1995). "THEATER REVIEW; Nameless Menace In Latest By Foote". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  9. ^ Interview with Beverly Waite Archived December 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine; accessed May 19, 2014.
  10. ^ Lyman, Rick (February 13, 1998). "On Stage and Off". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  11. ^ "'The Waltons' actor Ralph Waite dies at 85". Fox 5 San Diego. February 14, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  12. ^ Brown Presidential Campaign Announcement, Oct 21 1991
  13. ^ "The Waltons' actor Ralph Waite dies at 85 in Palm Desert." Archived May 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, "Mydesert.com", February 13, 2014
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