Daytime Actor Ron Harper Dead at 91

Veteran actor Ron Harper died March 21 at the age of 91. His daughter, Nicole Longeuay, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he passed away of natural causes at his home in West Hills.

Perhaps best known for starring as Alan Virdon in the PLANET OF THE APES primetime series and playing Uncle Jack in season three of the kids’ classic LAND OF THE LOST, Harper enjoyed a career that spanned stage and screen, including soaps.

After kicking off his career guesting on series like WAGON TRAIN and THE DEPUTY, Harper starred in 87th PRECINCT, WENDY AND ME, and GARRISON’s GORILLAS. He made his daytime debut as Steve Prescott on WHERE THE HEART IS, then played Dr. Andrew Marriott on LOVE OF LIFE, Taylor Halloway on ANOTHER WORLD, Charles Hartmann on LOVING, Baxter McCandless on CAPITOL, and Peter Whitmore on GENERATIONS.

Planet of the Apes TV — Harper starred with Roddy McDowall and James Naughton on the television series PLANET OF THE APES.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

The actor also appeared in films like The Wild Season, The Soldier, and Pearl Harbor. His final credited role was in the 2025 TV movie Kidnapped: The Hannah Anderson Story.

Our thoughts are with Harper’s family and friends during this difficult time.