Ron Masak, Murder, She Wrote Star and Character Actor, Dead at 86

Another beloved member of the Murder, She Wrote cast has passed away. Ron Masak, the character actor who portrayed Cabot Cove Sheriff Mort Metzger on Murder, She Wrote, has died at the age of 86. Masak's granddaughter, Kaylie Defilippis, told The Hollywood Reporter that he died on Thursday of natural causes at a hospital in Thousand Oaks. The news of Masak's passing comes just over a week after the death of Murder, She Wrote star Angela Lansbury.

Masak is best known for his time on Murder, She Wrote, which aired from 1984 to 1996. Lansbury was the only actor to appear in the entire series, having starred as Jessica Fletcher for all 264 episodes. That said, Masak was one of the most pivotal recurring actors on the series. He played Sheriff Metzger for a total of 41 episodes, beginning in 1985. Masak was the actor with the third-most episodes of Murder, She Wrote under their belt, behind only Lansbury and William Windom.

While Sheriff Metzger is the role most closely associated with Masak over the years, he enjoyed a very long career in Hollywood that spanned six decades. He has over 120 acting credits to his name, beginning in 1957. His most recent role came in 2020's The Last Page of Summer. According to his profile on IMDb, Masak has a role in an upcoming project called The Curse of Gorgon.

Masak was a familiar face for many TV fans, and not only because of his time on Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in numerous popular TV shows throughout his career, including a six-episode stint on Police Story and five episodes of Bewitched. He also appeared on Get Smart, I Dream of Jeannie, Ironside, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Magnum, P.I., Columbo, Land of the Lost, Diff'rent Strokes, Cold Case, Barney Miller, Wonder Woman, and many others.

As for feature films, Masak had roles in movies like Tora! Tora! Tora!, Ice Station Zebra, Harper Valley P.T.A., and The Bencwarmers.

Masak is survived by his wife, Kay; their children Kathryn, Tammy, Debbie, Christine, Michael, and Robert; and nine grandchildren.