Ron Masak

**Ron Masak** (born July 1, 1936 in Chicago, IL) is an American Actor. He is perhaps best known to TV audiences for his recurring role as Sheriff Mort Metzger on the CBS drama *Murder She Wrote*. He appeared as a semi-regular panelist on the classic Game Show *Match Game* in the 1970s.

Born in Chicago, Illinois. Masak's father was a salesman/musician and his mother was a merchandise buyer. He attended Kelly High School where (in 1954) he was voted "Homecoming King". After graduating, Ron attended Chicago City College, and studied theater at both the CCC and the Drama Guild. He made his acting debut with the Drama Guild in Chicago in *Stalag 17* in 1954.

Trained in the classics, Ron proved to be a team player, equally at home on stage or screen with Shakespeare or slapstick. He has played everything from Stanley in *A Streetcar Named Desire* and Sakini in *Teahouse of the August Moon* to Will Stockdale in *No Time For Sergeants* and Antony in *Julius Caesar*. As more proof of his versatility, in one production of *Mr. Roberts*, he played Ensign Pulver and in another he portrayed Mr. Roberts himself. In his hometown of Chicago, Ron was resident leading man at The Candlelight Dinner Playhouse from 1962 to 1966, never missing a single performance. As with many performers, it was the Army that provided Ron with a platform from which to display his all-around talents for performing, writing and directing. In 1960-61, Ron toured the world doing vocal impressions in the all-Army show entitled *Rolling Along*. Once again, he never missed a show

In 1968, he appeared alongside Vince Lombardi in the short film *Second Effort*, a film that has been called "the best-selling training film of all time". That same year, he also appeared in a supporting role in Howard Hughes' last film, *Ice Station Zebra*.

Ron's first television appearance came in a 1960 episode of *The Twilight Zone* titled "The Purple Testament" where he was the Harmonica Man. He appeared in a string of guest starring roles on various shows including *The Flying Nun*, *Bewitched* ("Samantha's Hot Bedwarmer", season 7), *Good Times* ("J.J. is arrested part two", season 2), *Barney Miller*, and *Magnum PI* ("Skin Deep", season 1).

Aside from his numerous guest-starring roles, Masak's most notable role in television was on the CBS drama *Murder She Wrote* as Sheriff Mort Metzger. He did however make two previous appearances in the episodes titled "Footnote to Murder" (as Lt. Meyer) and "No Accounting for Murder" (as Marty Giles). During his 8 year stint on *Murder, She Wrote*, he only had one female deputy, Deputy Lynn Olsen, played by his actress daughter Kathryn Masak, who is now married to a Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Ron was dubbed "The King of Commercials" for his many commercials, including voice-over work, most notably for ads for Vlasic pickles (as the voice of the Vlasic Stork). From 1982 to 1983 he provided the voice of Meatballs on the CBS cartoon series *Meatballs & Spaghetti*. He also did the voice for Veteran Holt in the video-game *Medal of Honor: European Assault*.

He was also a fixture on TV game shows, he appeared as a semi-regular panelist on *Match Game* in the 1970s. Other appearances on game shows include *Tattletales*, *Password* and it's revivals *Password Plus* & *Super Password*, and the short-lived 1990s revival on *To Tell The Truth*.

Ron is married to Kay Knebes, since 1961 and together they have six children (four daughters & twin boys) and ten grandchildren (seven girls & three boys) and he is the cousin of *Family Ties* actor Michael Gross.

Masak is close friends with former baseball player Steve Garvey. As a result, he made appearances in the 1989 Steve Garvey Celebrity Skiing Classic (as shown in 2004 and 2006, respectively, on ESPN Classic's *Cheap Seats*) and in the 1990 Steve Garvey Celebrity Billfish Tournament