Firefly‘s Shepherd, Ron Glass, Dies at 71 (Update)

Ron Glass , known for playing Shepherd Book on the acclaimed Joss Whedon show Firefly and its follow - up motion picture Serenity , has passed away at the age of 71 . No other inside information have been released at this time .

Glass was a well - have intercourse movie and TV actor celebrated for his role as Detective Ron Harris on Barney Miller , a role which garner him an Emmy nomination , as well as Edgar Albert Guest appearances on other shows like Marvel ’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Friends . However , many here in the io9 community knew him for his compassionate and thoughtful Shepherd who provided the Firefly gang with sage advice and wisdom- something that was reflect in his individual life . Glass was a leader in the California Buddhist community , and serve as a member of Soka Gakkai International .

Update : A few of Book ’s Firefly castmates and crowd , including Nathan Fillion , Alan Tudyk , and Whedon , tweeted out loving memories to Book after learning of his passage .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

" Shepard , do n’t move . ““Won’t go far . “We fuck you , Ron Glass . Do n’t go far.https://t.co/BAzpzTBLLv

— Nathan Fillion ( @NathanFillion)November 26 , 2016

He get there with grace , humor & enormous gist . He was , among so many other things , my Shepherd . Raise , suitably , a glass . residual , Ron.pic.twitter.com/yzPly7TmgE

William Duplessie