Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 – February 13, 2014) was an American actor. His most famous role may be John Walton Sr. on the 1970s CBS TV series The Waltons, which he occasionally directed. He is also well known for his portrayal of the slave ship first mate Slater in the mini-series Roots. Later in his career, he appeared as Reverend Norman Balthus for 16 out of 24 episodes over the two seasons of the HBO series Carnivàle (2003–2005). He portrayed the recurring roles of Father Matt on the daytime serial Days of our Lives, of Jethro Gibbs's (Mark Harmon) father, Jackson Gibbs, on NCIS and of Seeley Booth's (David Boreanaz) grandfather, Hank Booth on Bones.
Ralph Waite has 72 screen credits in a career dating back to 1959. Their work spans 5 cinematic universes — most prominently Ace Ventura with 1 titles. Signature works include The Waltons, The Bodyguard, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
Universe traveler — spans 5 universes
Related entry on Wikidata (Q712450), public domain (CC0).
