American actor Ron Ely, best known for his role as Tarzan in the 1960s American television series, has died at the age of 86 at his home in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara, California, the BBC reported.
Ely’s daughter, Kirsten Casale Ely, posted on Instagram, “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known—and I have lost my dad.”
“My father was someone 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 heavenly honor that has been. To me, he hung the moon.”
She told The Associated Press on Wednesday her father had died on September 29.
The show “Tarzan” aired on NBC from 1966 to 1968, during which Ely sustained several injuries when animals reportedly attacked him while performing his stunts.
After retiring from acting in 2001, Ely became an author and published two novels. He briefly returned to the screen in 2014, appearing in the television film “Expecting Amish” as an Amish elder.
In the 1980s, Ely was featured in popular television shows, including the cruise ship comedy “The Love Boat” and “Wonder Woman,” starring Lynda Carter.
Born in Texas in 1938, Ely married his high school love in 1959, but the couple divorced two years later. He also hosted the Miss America pageant in the early 1980s, where he met his second wife, Valerie Lundeen. He had three children with her.