Born in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania--a small town just east of Pittsburgh--Ron Harper became valedictorian of his senior class and won an academic scholarship to Princeton University, where he supplemented his academic studies by appearing in a number of plays and musical comedies. He earned a fellowship to study law at Harvard but the "acting bug" lured him instead to New York, where he studied with 'Lee Strasberg'. Next came a stint in the US Navy (mostly spent in Panama), followed by a return to New York. After several disappointments he earned a job as Paul Newman's understudy in "Sweet Bird of Youth". Hollywood soon beckoned and Harper appeared in a succession of TV series: 87th Precinct (1961), The Jean Arthur Show (1966), Wendy and Me (1964), Garrison's Gorillas (1967) and Planet of the Apes (1974).Following "Apes" he had roles in several soap-operas and guest-starred on various TV shows. He now lives in California.