Ralph Waite Biography (1928?-)

Born June 22, 1928 (some sources cite 1929), in White Plains, NY; son of Ralph H. (a construction engineer) and Esther (maiden name, Mitchell) Waite; married Beverly Hall, 1951 (divorced, 1966); married Kerry Shear, 1972 (divorced,1980); married Linda East (an interior decorator), December 4, 1982; children: (second marriage) Kathleen, Suzanne, Liam.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Actor, director, producer, writer
Birth Details
June 22, 1928?
White Plains, New York, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Stage Appearances
  • Chief of police, The Balcony, Circle in the Square, New York City,1960
  • Minister, Marathon '33, American National Theatre and Academy Theatre, New York City, 1963
  • Ralph and Judge, Blues for Mister Charlie, American National Theatre and Academy Theatre, 1964
  • Traveller without Luggage, American National Theatre and Academy Theatre, 1964
  • Matthew Stanton, Hogan's Goat, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1965
  • Azdak, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Theatre Company of Boston, Boston, MA, 1966
  • Henry and Bruno, "The Mutilated," in Slapstick Tragedy, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1966
  • Blues for Mister Charlie, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1966
  • Andrew Kragler, Drums in the Night, Circle in the Square, 1967
  • Defense Counsel Rogers, The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, American National Theatre and Academy Theatre, 1967
  • Claudius, Hamlet, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, New York City, 1967, then Mobile Theatre, New York City, 1968
  • The father, Watering Place, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1969
  • Orsino, Twelfth Night, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, 1969
  • Ted, The Killdeer, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre,1969
  • The Peacemaker, Theatre Company of Boston, 1969
  • Captain, The Father, Circle in the Square, 1981
  • Buried Child, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Costa Mesa, CA, 1985
  • Joe Keller, All My Sons, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1986
  • Bunker Reveries, Roundabout Theatre, New York City, 1987
  • Half-Deserted Street, off-Broadway production, 1988
  • Chris Christopherson, Anna Christie, George Street Playhouse, NewBrunswick, NJ, 1991
  • Richard Weeks, The Destiny of Me, Circle Repertory Company, Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York City, 1993
  • Dirt, Morris A. Mechanic Theatre, Baltimore, MD, 1994
  • Will Kiddler, The Young Man from Atlanta, Theatre at Kampo Cultural Center, New York City, 1995
  • Hometown Heroes, Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre, Cincinnati, OH, 1995
  • Senator Alan Hughes, An American Daughter, Cort Theatre, New YorkCity, 1997
  • Title role, King Lear, Intar 53 Theatre, New York City, 2000
  • Ancestral Voices, George Street Playhouse, 2000
  • The Personal Equation, Provincetown Playhouse, 2000
  • Appeared in Death of a Salesman, Alley Theatre, and later at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ; and King Lear, Performance Arts Center of Richmond. Also appeared at the Theatre Company of Boston, 1966-68, theLong Wharf Theatre, 1968-69, the Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI,1990-91, at the Cincinnati Playhouse, and with the Signature Theatre Company.
  • Film Appearances
  • Alibi Gibson, Cool Hand Luke, Warner Bros., 1967
  • Sean Magruder, A Lovely Way to Die (also known as A Lovely Wayto Go), Universal, 1968
  • Peter's father, Last Summer, Allied Artists, 1969
  • Carl Fidelio Dupea, Five Easy Pieces, Columbia, 1970
  • Detective Cromie, The Pursuit of Happiness, Columbia, 1971
  • Jack Dekker, Lawman, United Artists, 1971
  • Mace, The Grissom Gang, Cinerama, 1971
  • Olson, The Sporting Club, Avco-Embassy, 1971
  • Elias Hooker, Chato's Land, United Artists, 1972
  • Jim MacKay, The Magnificent Seven Ride!, United Artists, 1972
  • John, Girls on the Road, 1972
  • Pete Cockrell, Trouble Man, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1972
  • Detective Mathews, The Stone Killer, Columbia, 1973
  • Drummer, Kid Blue, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1973
  • Hot Summer Week, Fanfare, 1973
  • C. G., On the Nickel, Rose's Park, 1980
  • Narrator, Good Ole Boy: A Delta Boyhood (also known as The River Pirates), 1988
  • Desperate Hours, 1990
  • Lathan Hooks, Crash and Burn, Paramount, 1991
  • Herb Farmer, The Bodyguard, Warner Bros., 1992
  • Frank, Cliffhanger (also known as Cliffhanger--l'ultima sfida), TriStar, 1993
  • Chief Drew McDermott, Sioux City (also known as Ultimate Revenge), IRS Releasing, 1994
  • Voice of Shadow, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (also known as Homeward Bound II: Incredible Journey), Buena Vista, 1996
  • The time traveler, Nobody Knows, Destination Earth, 2000
  • Spirit, 2001
  • Film Work
  • Director
  • (And producer) On the Nickel, Rose's Park, 1980
  • Sioux City (also known as Ultimate Revenge), IRS Releasing,1994
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • John Walton, Sr., The Waltons, CBS, 1972-81
  • Ben Walker, The Mississippi (also known as On the Mississippi), CBS, 1983-84
  • Malcolm Dietrich, Murder One, ABC, 1996
  • Otis LeBlanc, Orleans, CBS, 1997
  • Bart, All My Children (also known as All My Children: The Summer of Seduction), ABC, 2001
  • Miniseries
  • Third Mate Slater, Roots, ABC, 1977
  • Voice, The West, PBS, 1996
  • The Third Twin (also known as Ken Follett's The Third Twin), CBS, 1997
  • Movies
  • The man from Toledo, The Borgia Stick, NBC, 1967
  • John Chapman, The Secret Life of John Chapman, CBS, 1976
  • Henry Stone, Red Alert, CBS, 1977
  • Floyd Wing, Ohms, CBS, 1980
  • Jared Teeter, Angel City (also known as Field of Tears), CBS, 1980
  • Father Bernard Pagano, The Gentleman Bandit (also known as TheBandit Priest), CBS, 1981
  • John Walton, A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain, NBC, 1982
  • John Walton, Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain, NBC, 1982
  • John Walton, A Wedding on Walton's Mountain, NBC, 1982
  • Tommy O'Bannon, A Good Sport, CBS, 1984
  • Frank Hayward, Crime of Innocence, NBC, 1985
  • Martin Pehrsson, Red Earth, White Earth (also known as Snake Treaty), CBS, 1989
  • Orville Lemon, Sparks: The Price of Passion, CBS, 1990
  • John Walton, A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion, CBS, 1993
  • Cal Simms, Sin and Redemption, CBS, 1994
  • John Walton, A Walton Wedding (also known as John-Boy's Wedding), CBS, 1995
  • Sam Hackett, A Season of Hope (also known as The Lemon Grove), CBS, 1995
  • John Walton, A Walton Easter, CBS, 1997
  • Specials
  • Lieutenant Colonel Fredericks, The Desperate Hours, ABC, 1967
  • Pozzo, "Waiting for Godot," Great Performances, PBS, 1977
  • CBS: On the Air, CBS, 1978
  • Episodic
  • Hoby, "The Lady and the Mark," Bonanza, NBC, 1970
  • "The Specialists," Nichols, 1971
  • District attorney Paul Robbins, "Alma Murder," Murder, She Wrote,CBS, 1989
  • Sergeant Lamont Carson, "Missing," Time Trax, syndicated, 1994
  • Dad, "A Secret Promise Kept," Chicken Soup for the Soul, PAX TV, 1999
  • Gene Morton, "Small Friends," The Outer Limits, Showtime and syndicated, 1999
  • Other
  • The Thanksgiving Story, 1973
  • Dr. C. J. Halligan, Keys (also known as Keys to Her Past),1994
  • President Mathews, The President's Man, 2000
  • Television Work
  • Supervising Producer; With Christopher Morgan; Series
  • The Mississippi (also known as On the Mississippi), CBS, 1983-84
  • Executive Producer; Movies
  • A Good Sport, CBS, 1984
  • Director; Episodic
  • The Mississippi (also known as On the Mississippi), CBS, episodes between 1983 and 1984
  • Directed episodes of The Waltons, CBS.
  • RECORDINGS
  • Audio Books
  • Losing Julia, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio, 2000
  • WRITINGS
  • Screenplays
  • On the Nickel, Rose's Park, 1980