'Murder, She Wrote' star Ron Masak passes away at 86

'Murder, She Wrote', actor Ron Masak, the star who is known for his Sheriff Mort Metzger character, died at the age of 86 on Thursday.

According to a family statement quoted by Variety in a report, Masak died of natural causes, surrounded by his wife, Kay, and their six children.

According to Variety, Masak, born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 1, 1936, attended Chicago City College to study drama before making his acting debut in 1954 with the Drama Guild. In the 1960s and 1970s, he would make appearances in enduring television programmes like '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).

As Sheriff Mort Metzger on 'Murder, She Wrote,' he got his big break in 1985 and continued to feature in more than 40 episodes of the acclaimed show until its finale in 1996. Masak first gained notoriety as the "King of Commercials" in the 1980s and 1990s, mainly due to his voiceover work for brands like Rice-A-Roni and Vlasic pickles.

Additionally, Masak made appearances in about 25 full-length movies, such as 'The Benchwarmers' (2006), 'Angels on Tap,' 'Ice Station Zebra,' 'Second Effort,' 'A Time for Dying,' 'Evel Knievel,' 'Laserblast,' and 'Listen to Me' (2018). Masak was associated with two planned films, 'The Curse of the Gorgon' and 'Quigley 2,' which were in pre-production, according to his IMDb biography.

Masak has contributed significantly to several charitable causes throughout the years, including the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, Special Olympics, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Child Help, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

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