Ron Masak dead: “Murder, She Wrote” sheriff was 86

Ron Masak, the character actor best known for portraying Sheriff Mort Metzger on Murder, She Wrote, died Thursday. He was 86.

According to a family statement, Masak died of natural causes and was surrounded by his wife Kay and six children.

Born on July 1, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, Masak studied drama at Chicago City College and made his acting debut with the Drama Guild in 1954. In the 1960s and 70s he appeared in legendary television series such as “The Twilight Zone” (1960), “The Monkees” (1968), “Get Smart” (1968), “I Dream of Jeannie” (1968-69) , Bewitched (1969-70), The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1971), Love Thy Neighbor (1973), Police Story (1975-1978) and Wonder Woman (1978).

In 1985 he had his big break as Sheriff Mort Metzger in Murder, She Wrote and appeared in over 40 episodes of the popular series until its end in 1996. During the ’80s and ’90s, Masak also began making a name for himself as the “king of commercials,” largely due to his voiceover work for Vlasic Pickles, Rice-A-Roni, and others.

Masak also appeared in around 25 feature films, including Ice Station Zebra (1968), Second Effort (1968), A Time for Dying (1969), Evel Knievel (1971), Laserblast (1978 ). ), Listen to Me (1989), The Benchwarmers (2006) and Angels on Tap (2018). According to his IMDb page, Masak has been involved in two upcoming projects, The Curse of the Gorgon and Quigley 2, which was in pre-production.

Masak has played a key role in various charity events over the years including Wounded Warriors, Child Help, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Special Olympics and the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.

He is survived by his wife Kay, their six children and ten grandchildren.