Jack Ging, a “classic all-purpose actor” who appeared on TV classics such as “The A-Team” and “Hawaii Five-O,” has died at 90.
The veteran character performer passed away from natural causes at his home in California on Friday, his wife, Apache, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Ging — who was born and raised in Oklahoma in the 1960s — kickstarted his acting career in the 1950s western series “Mackenzie’s Raiders.”
He went on to score small roles in classic shows such as “Perry Mason,” “Dr. Kildare,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Little House on the Prairie” and “Hart to Hart,” before appearing as Gen. Harlan “Bull” Fulbright opposite Mr. T in “The A-Team” during the mid-1980s.
Jack Ging (clockwise from left) with Stefanie Powers in a 1980 episode of “Hart to Hart” and as Marshal Anders in a 1975 episode of “Little House on the Prairie. Inset: Ging as General “Bull”Fullbright in an undated still from “The A-Team.” Disney General Entertainment ConThe star — who often played tough-talking action heroes — also had film success, appearing on the big screen opposite Clint Eastwood in “Play Misty For Me,” “Hang ‘Em High,” and “High Plains Drifter.”
Ging is pictured in a 1980 episode of “Hart to Hart.” He was a fixture on primetime action TV shows during the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Disney General Entertainment Con“Deep-voiced and square-featured, Jack Ging fell somewhere between leading man, bad guy, and character actor,” one fan posted in a Twitter tribute after his passing was announced Monday. “A classic all-purpose actor.”
Ging was born in Oklahoma in 1931, and served four years in the US Marine Corps after high school. He subsequently played football for the University of Oklahoma, becoming a well-known figure in college sports.
The handsome star didn’t try his hand at acting until he was in his late twenties — but he had almost instant success.
In addition to starring in “Mackenzie’s Raiders” on the small screen, he also headlined several hit films, including the 1961 Korean War drama “Sniper’s Ridge.”
Ging is seen filming an episode of “The A-Team” in the mid-1980s. NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesAnd, addition to his three films with Clint Eastwood, all filmed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he also appeared in the cult 1972 thriller, “Die Sister, Die!”
However, Ging found his biggest success on TV, particularly in “The A-Team” and the NBC detective series, “Riptide.”
Ging became known as the only person killed off “The A-Team,” with his character, Gen. Harlan Fulbright spectacularly shot in the back during a rescue mission.
“It was a kids show,” he reminisced in a 2014 interview. “They shot 10,000 machine guns from every roof and threw bombs and grenades, but nobody ever got killed — except me.”
The popular star continued to act into the 1990s, appearing in “PS. I Love U” and the sitcom “Wings.”
Off-screen, Ging’s personal life appeared just as prolific. He was married three times and had four children. Details of his funeral service have not been disclosed.
