{{Short description|American actor (1938–2025)}} {{About|the actor|the Australian footballer for Collingwood|Ron Dean (footballer, born 1916)|the Australian footballer for Richmond|Ron Dean (footballer, born 1943)}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox person | image = Cropped_Photo_of_Ron_Dean.jpg | name = Ron Dean | birth_date = {{Birth date|1938|8|15}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|10|5|1938|8|15}} | death_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1976–2016 }}
'''Ronald Charles Dean'''<ref>[https://es-us.vida-estilo.yahoo.com/actor-ron-dean-conocido-club-170057104.html Yahoo.com]</ref> (August 15, 1938 – October 5, 2025) was an American film and television actor. He appeared in films including ''Risky Business'', ''The Breakfast Club'', ''Cocktail'', ''The Babe'', ''The Fugitive'', ''Rudy'', ''The Client'', and ''The Dark Knight''. He is known for having often played detectives and other law-enforcement characters, most notably as Det. Marion Zeke Crumb in the fantasy comedy-drama television series ''Early Edition''.
==Background== Dean was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 15, 1938.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ron_dean|title=Ron Dean|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=December 11, 2021}}</ref> He attended DeKalb School of the Arts.<ref>[https://www.chicagonow.com/the-blue-streak/2012/05/you-want-a-chicago-actor-meet-ron-dean/ "You Want A Chicago Actor? Meet Ron Dean"], ''Chicago Now''.</ref> He died at a hospital in Chicago on October 5, 2025, at the age of 87.<ref name=obit/><ref name=obit2/>
==Career== Dean's early films included ''The Last Affair'' (1976) and ''Continental Divide'' (1981). He appeared in three films starring Tom Cruise: ''Risky Business'' (1983), ''The Color of Money'' (1986), and ''Cocktail'' (1988).<ref name=obit>{{Cite web |last=Pedersen |first=Erik |date=2025-10-08 |title=Ron Dean Dies: Actor In 'The Fugitive', 'The Breakfast Club' & Three Tom Cruise Films Was 87 |url=https://deadline.com/2025/10/ron-dean-dead-the-fugitive-the-dark-knight-breakfast-club-frasier-1236573733/ |access-date=2025-10-09 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> Other films include ''Teachers'' (1984),<ref name=obit/> ''The Breakfast Club'' (1985),<ref name=obit/> ''Code of Silence'' (1985),<ref name=obit2>{{cite news |last1=Mendoza |first1=Leia |title=Ron Dean, 'Risky Business' and 'The Breakfast Club' Actor, Dies At 87 |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/obituaries-people-news/ron-dean-dead-isky-business-breakfast-club-1236543699/ |access-date=8 October 2025 |publisher=Variety |date=8 October 2025}}</ref> ''Nothing in Common'' (1986),<ref name=obit/> ''Above the Law'' (1988),<ref name=obit2/> ''The Babe'' (1992),<ref name=obit/> ''The Fugitive'' (1993),<ref name=obit/> ''Rudy'' (1993),<ref name=obit/> ''The Client'' (1994),<ref name=obit/> ''Eye for an Eye'' (1996),<ref name=obit/> ''Chain Reaction'' (1996),<ref name=obit2/> ''The Guardian'' (2006),<ref name=obit2/> and ''The Dark Knight'' (2008).<ref name=obit/>
His television roles included guest appearances in ''T. J. Hooker'', ''Wiseguy'', ''Perfect Strangers'', ''NYPD Blue'', ''Murder, She Wrote'', ''ER'', ''The West Wing'', ''Chicago Hope'', ''Without a Trace'', ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', ''Cold Case'', ''Still Standing'', ''Numb3rs'', ''Six Feet Under'', ''Chicago P.D.'', as well as recurring roles playing Seattle cop Frank Collins in ''Frasier'',<ref name=obit/> Det. Marion Zeke Crumb in ''Early Edition'',<ref name=obit/> and Commanding Chief Fire Marshal of the CFD's Office of Fire Investigations James Whoritsky in ''Chicago Fire''.<ref name=obit/>
==Select filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1976 | ''The Last Affair'' | David | |- | 1981 | ''Continental Divide'' | Plesko | |- | rowspan=2 | 1983 | ''Risky Business'' | Detective With Bullhorn | |- | ''The Big Score'' | Kowalski | |- | 1984 | ''Teachers'' | Guard | |- | rowspan=2 | 1985 | ''The Breakfast Club'' | Mr. Clark, Andy's Father | |- | ''Code of Silence'' | Detective Brennan | |- | rowspan=2 | 1986 | ''Nothing in Common'' | Ed Bedsole | |- | ''The Color of Money'' | Guy In Crowd | |- | rowspan=2 | 1987 | ''Big Shots'' | Policeman #2 | |- | ''Light of Day'' | Mourner | |- | rowspan=2 | 1988 | ''Above the Law'' | Detective Lukich | |- | ''Cocktail'' | Uncle Pat | |- | 1989 | ''The Package'' | Karl Richards | |- | 1992 | ''The Babe'' | Umpire Owens | |- | rowspan=2 | 1993 | ''The Fugitive'' | Detective Kelly | |- | ''Rudy'' | Coach Yonto | |- | rowspan=2 | 1994 | ''The Client'' | Johnny "Uncle Johnny" Sulari | |- | ''House of Angels – The Second Summer'' | Sven Pettersson | |- | 1995 | ''Steal Big Steal Little'' | Nick's Boy | |- | rowspan=2 | 1996 | ''Eye for an Eye'' | Detective At McCann House | |- | ''Chain Reaction'' | Sergeant Nick Zingaro | |- | 1997 | ''Chicago Cab'' | Old Snack Trucker | |- | 2004 | ''Wild Things 2'' | Judge Ruben | Straight-to-video |- | 2006 | ''The Guardian'' | Navy Captain | |- | 2008 | ''The Dark Knight'' | Detective Wuertz | |- | 2012 | ''One Small Hitch'' | Art Burke | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1985–1986 | ''Lady Blue'' | Sergeant Gino Gianelli | Main cast |- | 1985 | ''T. J. Hooker'' | Detective #2 | Episode: "The Chicago Connection" |- | 1986–1987 | ''Crime Story'' | Chief Kramer | Recurring role, 9 episodes |- | 1988 | ''Wiseguy'' | Detective Mulcahy | Episode: "Phantom Pain" |- | 1990 | ''DEA'' | Detective Tom Neally | Episode: "America's War on Drugs" |- | 1991 | ''Perfect Strangers'' | Fire Chief Newton | Episode: "Great Balls of Fire" |- | 1992 | ''Angel Street'' | Detective Branigan | Main cast, 4 episodes (4 unaired) |- | 1993 | ''Flying Blind'' | John Doe | Episode: "The Spy Who Came in from the |- | 1994–1998 | ''Frasier'' | Frank | 3 episodes |- | 1994–2004 | ''NYPD Blue'' | Joe Brockhurst / Vincent Mackie | 5 episodes |- | 1995 | ''Pig Sty'' | Tony Falcone | Episode: "The Maltese Falcone" |- | 1995 | ''Murder, She Wrote'' | Lieutenant Shawn Reilly | Episode: "Unwilling Witness" |- | 1996 | ''Life's Work'' | Mr. Zafrani | 2 episodes |- | 1996–2000 | ''Early Edition'' | Detective Marion "Zeke" Crumb | Recurring role, 17 episodes |- | 1998 | ''ER'' | Uncle Joey | Episode: "The Good Fight" |- | 1999 | ''Chicago Hope'' | Baseball Scout | Episode: "Vigilance and Care" |- | rowspan="2" | 2001 | ''What About Joan?'' | Mr. Howard Evans | Episode: "Joan Meets the Parents" |- | ''Special Unit 2'' | Police Captain | 2 episodes |- | 2002 | ''Raising Dad'' | Mr. Zafrani | Episode: "The House of Stewart" |- | rowspan="3" | 2004 | ''The West Wing'' | Tom Broderick | Episode: "Full Disclosure" |- | ''Without a Trace'' | Willie | Episode: "Legacy" |- | ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' | Woody | Episode: "Turn of the Screws" |- | 2004–2006 | ''Still Standing'' | "Slim" Callahan | 2 episodes |- | rowspan="3" | 2005 | ''Numb3rs'' | Peter Watson | Episode: "Dirty Bomb" |- | ''Six Feet Under'' | Karl Holzenchenko | Episode: "Eat a Peach" |- | ''Cold Case'' | Troy Cage In 2005 | Episode: "Colors" |- | 2009 | ''The Beast'' | Petransky | Pilot |- | 2012–2013 | ''Chicago Fire'' | James Whoritsky | 3 episodes |- | 2015 | ''Sense8'' | "Duke" | Episode: "I Am Also a We" |- | 2016 | ''Chicago P.D.'' | Ray Sharansky | Episode: "In a Duffel Bag" |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0212939}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dean, Ron}} Category:1938 births Category:2025 deaths Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors
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