Veteran Actor Ron Thompson Of ‘Baretta’ Dies At 83

Ron Thompson, an actor best known for portraying Detective Nopke in Baretta, has reportedly died at the age of 83. He reportedly died in Los Angeles on Saturday.

No cause of death for the legendary actor has yet been revealed.

The announcement of Thompson’s death was made by Professor Rel Dowdell of Hampton University, who was a friend of the late actor. Interestingly enough, Thompson had a brief career as a singer for a rock band in the 1960s. He was a man of many talents.

Rel Dowdell also stated the following about his friend Ron Thompson,

Mr. Ron Thompson was a very versatile and talented character actor in all genres as well as a true and diligent student of the comprehensive craft of acting and all of its nuances.

He was a very congenial man with a warm and giving spirit, and was well-respected by many luminaries in the film and television industries

He also played a role in Ralph Bakshi’s film American Pop.

Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1941. Deadline reports on the beloved actor,

Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1941, Ron, his older brother, and parents moved to Miami, Florida in ’45.

Ron began to show talents as a singer/performer at an early age, which led to him performing in kiddie shows.

In his early teens, he saw Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront. With only $200, he set out for New York.

Two years later, he was acting opposite Robert Duvall on the live TV drama, Armstrong Circle Theater.

At the same time, he had begun a singing career and had a record out. Over the next two years, he had two records released, but neither were hits.

In ’72, he joined the cast of the Henry Fonda revival, The Time of Your Life. By then, he had moved to L.A.

In the next 25 years, he could be seen guesting on numerous television shows.

Deadline