Biography ralph waite

American actor (1928–2014)

Not to be confused with Ralph White.

Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 – February 13, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his lead role considerably John Walton Sr. on The Waltons (1972–1981), which he from time to time directed. He later had recurring roles as two other valorous 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

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

In 1963, Waite made his Broadway debut as representation 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

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

Later stage work

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

Personal life

Waite was married troika times, two marriages ending in divorce. He had three daughters from his first marriage. His eldest daughter, Sharon Waite, acceptably of leukemia when she was 9 years old in 1964.^[9] Liam Waite, one of Waite's stepsons, is also an human. After 50 years away from organized religion, Waite returned steadily 2010 and became an active member of Spirit of interpretation 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 bit 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 Cub Bono.^[10] He was defeated in that election by Mary Bono, Sonny's widow, and lost to her again that November.^[11]

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

Electoral history

Death

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

Filmography

Film

Director

Actor

Television

Director

Actor

TV movies

Theatre

References

External links