Ron Masak, a prolific character actor best known to television audiences as Sheriff Mort Metzger on “Murder, She Wrote,” died Thursday of natural causes, his family announced. He was 86.

Masak’s death comes just nine days after “Murder, She Wrote” star Angela Lansbury, who died Oct. 10 at age 96.

Born in Chicago in 1936, Masak began his entertainment career while serving in the U.S. Army before moving to Los Angeles. He made his screen debut on an episode of “The Twilight Zone” in 1960. He went on to appear in numerous notable productions of the era, including “The Monkees,” “Ice Station Zebra,” “Bewitched,” and “The Flying Nun,” among others.

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