Weeks after the entertainment industry was surprised by the death of Angela Lansbury, news broke of the passing of another television personality, an actor with whom Lansbury had a strong connection.
Ron Masak, the actor who played Sheriff Mort Metzger on CBS’ “Murder, She Wrote,” passed away at the age of 86.
Variety reported that Masak died peacefully because of natural causes beside his wife of more than six decades and his six children. Masak was a Chicago native. He was born on Jul. 1, 1936, to Floyd Louis Masak and Mildred Alice Rudy. Unlike many people at the time, Masak took a liking to the arts and decided to pursue a career in acting.
He studied theater at the Chicago City College and eventually made his acting debut in 1954 with the Drama Guild. Avid television spectators during the 1960s to the 1970s would see him on iconic series like “The Twilight Zone,” “The Monkees,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Get Smart,” “Bewitched, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and even “Wonder Woman.” Because of his then-progressing fame, Masak made waves and was widely-dubbed as “The King of Commercials” for his notable work in becoming the face of many advertisements, especially his voice-overs.
He is also prominent in his Vlasic Pickles ad. During the 1980s, he voiced “Meatballs” on the CBS cartoon television series “Meatballs & Spaghetti” and even became a voice for Veteran Hold, decades later, in the video game “Medal of Honor: European Assault.” He even became a panelist on the television game show revival of “To Tell the Truth.”
He has also made appearances on “Match Game” and “Password Plus and Super Password.” But that wasn’t his biggest breakthrough in the entertainment industry; it was during his stint on “Murder, She Wrote” that made Masak a household name.
Ron Masak was best known for his role as Sherrif Mort Metzger in “Murder, She Wrote.” He was the Cadillac convertible-driving Sherrif.
Masak played the role of Sherrif Mort Metzger, the former NYPD cop who eventually took the role of Tom Boseley’s Sheriff Amos Tupper of Cabot Cove, Maine. Before debuting officially in Season 5, Masak played small parts in previous seasons – in a Season 1 episode and another one in Season 3. Tributes have poured in over Masak’s death all over on social media.
“Just heard about Ron Masak. Always seemed like a good-natured wholesome guy,” a fan recalled. “This one hurts personally. Ron Masak was extremely talented and hilarious in addition to being a genuinely happy person. Only months ago, to help me celebrate Twilight Zone Day, he signed this.
RIPRonMasak #RIP,” another user commented. Sadly, Masak’s death came exactly nine days after the death of the main star of “Murder, She Wrote,” Angela Lansbury.
Lansbury peacefully died with the comfort of her family and friends in her sleep at her Los Angeles home last Oct. 11, 2022 – five days away before her 97th birthday.
“In addition to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, she is survived by three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury. She was proceeded in death by her husband of 53 years, Peter Shaw.
A private family ceremony will be held at a date to be determined,” the family’s statement said at the time. Before their passing, Massak and Lansbury were among the last living original and regular cast members of the iconic CBS Crime drama series, “Murder She Wrote.”
At the height of the success of “Murder, She Wrote,” Angela was earning upwards of $300,000 per episode. As the show remained at the top of the ratings through much of its nine-year run, Angela became the richest woman in television history at the time, with her worth standing at an estimated $100 million. Which was, as she said, pretty much the point.
“I did it for the money,” she told The Mirror in August 2016, before she added, “There comes a time in a theatrical life when you say to yourself, ‘Well I can’t make any money in the theatre,’ so television was a very specific decision I made.”
She added: “When this came on the horizon I thought, ‘That’s interesting … I think I can make something of this.’”
The money also poured in as almost 50 countries – from Japan to Venezuela – bought rights to air the show, making Angela a household name. Despite her years as a working actress, Angela remained surprised by the show’s success. She once said:
“I was amazed, almost everywhere in the world, (people) knew Jessica Fletcher. They treated me like a rock star.”
There was, however, a moment in 1990 in which Angela mulled over leaving “Murder, She Wrote” after a dispute with then-series producer, Peter Fischer. Eager to keep their star on, CBS allowed Angela to “call the shots” and Fischer departed the show. From 1992 to 1996, she also served as an executive producer. To lower the cost of production, which had hit $1.82 million per episode by 1994, she hired “younger and less costly guest stars and fewer expensive guest stars.” She also roped in family members, such as her husband and son Anthony, to produce or direct many of the episodes.
How will you remember Ron Masak? Do you recall watching an episode of “Murder, She Wrote” with him and Angela Lansbury? Let us know, and pass this on to your friends, family, and other loved ones!