Looking back at the career of Barretta and American Pop star Ron Thompson as he passes away at 83

American Pop actor Ron Thompson passed away at the age of 83 on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. The cause of his death wasn't made public at the time of writing this article. However, his death was confirmed by his friend and Hampton University professor Rel Dowdell in an exclusive statement to Deadline.

Rel Dowdell, who is the director of film studies, called Ron Thompson a “versatile and talented character actor in all genres.” The latter was also described as a “diligent student” of acting and its nuances.

“He was a very congenial man with a warm and giving spirit, and was well-respected by many luminaries in the film and television industries,” Dodwell added.

Ron Thompson was married to fellow actress Diane Sommerfield, who passed away in 2001.

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Ron Thompson was born in Kentucky

The Baretta star was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1941, before moving to Miami, Florida with his parents and brother in 1945. Thompson had been very interested in singing and performing from a young age and performed in many children's shows.

However, his life changed in his early teens after watching Marlon Brando’s performance in On the Waterfront. This led to him setting out for New York with just $200 in his pocket.

At the age of 21, Ron Thompson bagged a spot in the television drama, Armstrong Circle Theater and acted alongside Robert Duval. He also took a stab at singing by releasing two records under the mentorship of rockabilly singer Ersel Hickey. However, neither of them turned out to be hits, subsequently leading to him focusing solely on his acting career.

Thompson got his big break in 1969 after starring as Shanty in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play No Place to be Somebody written by Charles Gordone. After touring across the United States, he joined the cast of The Time of Your Life in 1972.

In 1976, he acted in the play Buy the Bi and Bye. The Progress Bulletin described the play as a "hilarious black satire."

“offbeat and hilarious black satire with a zinging performance by Ron Thompson.”

The same year, he also starred in the NBC television series The Rebels as Henry David Thoreau in the drama.

However, he was best known for starring in Ralph Bakshi’s American Pop, a film that was Rotoscoped. For those uninitiated, this is a process where actors perform the entire movie on a soundstage. In the case of American Pop, Ron Thompson played both Tony and Pete.

A few of his other projects include Ethically Ambiguous, Cargo, and Suffrage, among others.

During his stint as an actor, he managed to bag The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for his role in Does A Tiger Wear a Necktie.

In the late 1990s, Thompson quit acting and embarked on a spiritual journey. According to his official website, he was thrilled to see the reemergence of American Pop in the pop culture scene. Adding to his accolades, he was honored with the Egyptian Theater Award after taking part in a Q&A session in regards to American Pop.

Details regarding the funeral arrangements were not made public at the time of writing this article. He was married to actress Diane Sommerfield, who passed away in 2001, and additional information about Ron and his family has yet to be revealed.