Ron Ely's Impact on Cinema: Remembering the Tarzan Actor

Ron Ely: A Lasting Legacy in Film and Television

Ron Ely, known for his sophisticated interpretation of the character Tarzan, aired on televisions worldwide, has died at the age of 86, announced his family on Wednesday. His role in the Hollywood series Tarzan, broadcast in the 1960s, was a contemporary version of the hero, more refined and urban, choosing to return to the jungle where he was raised.

Ely also cemented the modern image of the character in the public's mind, with his imposing physique, clad in a loincloth and accompanied by his chimpanzee sidekick. The comedian reportedly performed his own stunts, often sustaining injuries during filming, including a lion bite.

A Voice of Loss

“The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known,” declared his daughter, Kirsten Ely, on social media. “My father was someone people called a hero. There was something truly magical about him. That's how the world knew him,” she added.

Ron Ely passed away on September 29 in Santa Barbara, California. After the end of the two seasons of Tarzan, Ely continued to act, primarily on television, throughout the 1990s. The actor was also the author of two crime novels. However, the role of Tarzan remained his biggest claim to fame – to the extent that the comedian once described it as a “double-edged sword.”

In 2019, police shot his son Cameron during an intervention following the stabbing death of Valerie Lundeen Ely, his wife. Authorities stated that Cameron, accused of the knife assault, had posed a threat. The comedian had filed a lawsuit, but the judge determined that the police had acted in legitimate defense.