Ralph Waite was an actor best known for playing John Walton, the steadfast patriarch of the long-running 1970s' television drama The Waltons. The role earned Waite a Primetime Emmy nomination in 1972; he received a second nomination for his performance as the first mate of a slave ship in the acclaimed 1977 miniseries Roots.

Born in White Plains, New York, Waite led a peripatetic life. He did not pursue acting until his thirties, after having served in the Marine Corps graduated from Bucknell University, and worked as a social worker, Presbyterian minister and book editor.

A natural performer, he soon found work in the theater, including critically hailed productions on Broadway and at New York's Public Theater.

He made his TV debut as host of an episode of the religious program Look Up and Live. In the years that followed, he had roles in numerous series, including Bonanza, Murder, She Wrote, Shannon's Deal, The Practice, Cold Case, Cane and Grey's Anatomy.

In addition to starring in The Waltons, he had regular or recurring roles in such series as The Mississippi, Murder One, Carnivàle, Bones, NCIS and Days of Our Lives.

He also appeared in several feature films, including Cool Hand Luke, Five Easy Pieces, The Magnificent Seven Ride!, Chato's Land, The Stone Killer, The Bodyguard and Cliffhanger.

Waite died February 13, 2014, in Palm Desert, California. He was 85.