Born: June 22, 1928 Died: February 13, 2014 (at age 85) Birthplace: White Plains, New York, U.S.
Popularity:
Biography
Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 - February 13, 2014) was an American actor and political activist, best known for his role as John Walton, Sr. on The Waltons (1972–1981), which he occasionally directed. He also had a recurring role in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs, the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Waite had supporting roles in movies like Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Grissom Gang (1971), The Bodyguard (1992), and Cliffhanger (1993).[1]
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] 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]
Waite made his Broadway debut in Blues for Mister Charlie, and would work on and off-Broadway steadily throughout the 1960s.[5]
His film work included roles in Cool Hand Luke, Five Easy Pieces, Lawman, 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 Traveller in the Science Fiction Historical Drama film Timequest (2002).[6] He also voiced Shadow in Homeward Bound II.
Later stage work
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.[7]
Personal life
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.[8] 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
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 five percentage points. 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.[9] He was defeated in that election by Mary Bono, Sonny's widow, and lost to her again that November.[10]
On October 21, 1991, Waite introduced then-former California Governor Jerry Brown prior to the latter's speech announcing his candidacy for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.[11]
Electoral history
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
On February 13, 2014, Waite died in Palm Desert, California, of age-related illnesses at age 85.[12]
Filmography
Film
Cool Hand Luke (1967) as Alibi
A Lovely Way to Die (1968) as Sean Magruder
Last Summer (1969) as Peter's Father (uncredited)
Five Easy Pieces (1970) as Carl Fidelio Dupea
The Pursuit of Happiness (1971) as Detective Cromie
The Sporting Club (1971) as Olson
Lawman (1971) as Jack Dekker
The Grissom Gang (1971) as Mace
Chato's Land (1972) as Elias Hooker
Hot Summer Week (1972) as John
The Magnificent Seven Ride (1972) as Jim Mackay
Trouble Man (1973) as Pete Cockrell
Kid Blue (1973) as Drummer
The Stone Killer (1973) as Mathews
Red Alert (1977, TV Movie) as Henry Stone
OHMS (1980, TV Movie) as Floyd Wing
On the Nickel (1980) as C.G.
Angel City (1980, TV Movie) as Jared Teeter
Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood (1988) as Narrator
Red Earth, White Earth (1989) as Martin
Crash and Burn (1990) as Lathan Hooks
Desperate Hours (1990)
The Bodyguard (1992) as Herb Farmer
Cliffhanger (1993) as Frank
Sioux City (1994) as Drew McDermott
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996) as Shadow (voice)
Timequest (2000) as The Time Traveler
Sunshine State (2002) as Furman Temple
Blessings (2003, TV Movie) as Sheriff
Silver City (2004) as Casey Lyle
Letters to God (2010) as Cornelius Perryfield
25 Hill (2011) as Ed
Gabe the Cupid Dog (2012) as R.L. Dutton
Television
Look Up and Live (1966) as Host
The Borgia Stick (1967, TV Movie) as Man from Toledo
N.Y.P.D. (1967-1968) as Robert Stryker
Bonanza (1970) "The Lady and the Mark" as Hoby
Nichols (1971) as Sam Burton
The Waltons (1972-1981) as John Walton, Sr.
The Thanksgiving Story (1973, TV Movie)
The Secret Life of John Chapman (1976, TV Movie) as John Chapman
Roots (1977) as Third Mate, Slater
Waiting for Godot (1977, TV Movie) as Pozzo
CBS: On the Air (1978) as Himself
Angel City (1980, TV Movie) as Jared Teeter
The Gentleman Bandit (1981, TV Movie) as Father Bernard Pagano
A Wedding on Walton's Mountain (1982, TV Movie) as John Walton
Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain (1982, TV Movie) as John Walton
A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain (1982, TV Movie) as John Walton
The Mississippi (1983) as Ben Walker
A Good Sport (1984, TV Movie) as Tommy O'Bannon
Growing Pains (1984, TV Movie) as Rob
Crime of Innocence (1985, TV Movie) as Frank Hayward
Reading Rainbow (1987)
Murder, She Wrote (1989) as DA Paul Robbins
Sparks: The Price of Passion (1990, TV Movie) as Orville Lemon
A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion (1993, TV Movie) as John Walton
Time Trax (1994) as Lamont Carson
Sin & Redemption (1994, TV Movie) as Cal Simms
Keys (1994, TV Movie) as Dr. C.J. Halligan
A Season of Hope (1995, TV Movie) as Sam Hackett
A Walton Wedding (1995, TV Movie) as John Walton
Murder One (1996) as Malcolm Dietrich
Orleans (1997) as Otis Leblanc
A Walton Easter (1997, TV Movie) as John Walton
The Third Twin (1997, TV Movie) as Senator Proust
The Outer Limits (1999) as Gene Morton
Chicken Soup for the Soul (1999) as Dad
The President's Man (2000, TV Movie) as President Mathews
All My Children (2001) as Bart
Spirit (2001, TV Movie) as Jacob
Blessings (2003, TV Movie) as Sheriff
Carnivàle (2003-2005) as Reverend Norman Balthus
The Practice (2004) as Walter Josephson
Cold Case (2007) as Felton Metz
CSI (2008) "Young Man with a Horn" as Sheriff Montgomery
NCIS (2008-2013) as Jackson Gibbs (8 episodes)
The Cleaner (2008) as Jonus Mullins
Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective (2009, TV Movie) as Grandpa Ventura
Kickin' It (2011) as Principal Keener (7 episodes)
Days of Our Lives (2009-2014) as Father Matt (recurring) (final appearance)
Grey's Anatomy (2009) "Tainted Obligation" as Irving Waller
Bones (2009-2013) as Hank Booth (3 episodes)
Off the Map (2011) "On the Mean Streets of San Miguel" as Abuelito