DAYS: Ralph Waite (Father Matt) passes away

[JAS0N47]

REST IN PEACE, FATHER MATT

RALPH WAITE

IN LOVING MEMORY

JUNE 22, 1928-FEBRUARY 13, 2014

Ralph Waite, who portrayed Father Matt on "Days of Our Lives" for 70 episodes from 2009-2014, passed away earlier this evening. Waite made his probable final appearance as Father Matt on January 24, when he performed the Christening for Arianna. Larry Poindexter showed up the next week as Father Louis, most likely in scenes intended for Father Matt that had to be re-written. As a college student, Waite earned his Bachelor of Divinity at Yale, and became an ordained minister before starting his acting career. So, it was a fitting end that Waite's final work as an actor had him performing as a priest on the set of St. Luke's in Salem.

Here's a look at Ralph Waite's first and last scenes as Father Matt. Waite debuted on "Days" in scenes with Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe) on February 18, 2009. His final appearance as Father Matt was on January 24, 2014. Greg Vaughan (Eric) shared the final lines of dialogue with Father Matt.

First scenes...February 18, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82xvX-ZAR7A

Last scenes...January 24, 2014
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMGdyGiUZM4

Here's an obituary from The Hollywood Reporter:

Ralph Waite, who was beloved to TV viewers as the ultimate father figure, John Walton, on The Waltons, has died. He passed away at midday on Thursday at his home in South Palm Desert, Steve Gordon, the accountant for the Waite family, told The Hollywood Reporter.

He was nominated for an Emmy in 1978 for his portrayal of the middle-American paterfamilias. He starred on The Waltons for nine years and directed 15 episodes. Waite also performed in the vaunted mini-series Roots, for which he received a 1977 Emmy nomination.

Prior to his role on The Waltons, Waite had been in only one other TV show, a Nichols episode.Waite also performed in the vaunted mini-series Roots, for which he received a 1977 Emmy nomination.

More recently, he appeared in Days of Our Lives and had a recurring role as Reverend Norman Balthus on HBO's Carnivale, a part befitting a man who once served as an ordained minister on Long Island. He also appeared as Jackson Gibbs in NCIS over the course of several seasons and as Hank Booth in Bones.

Waite was the founder and director of the Los Angeles Actors Theatre, which he established in 1975. To get the company off the ground, Waite allocated $50,000 of his own money to produce and direct revivals of The Hairy Ape and The Kitchen, in which he also performed.

LAAT won many critical awards, including the Margaret Harford Award given by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle for “its consistently high standards, its commitment to adventurous theater and to community involvement.”

Multi-faceted, Waite was also an ordained minister, a former social worker and a recovering alcoholic. He channeled that background into a film on the lives of people on L.A.'s skid row, On the Nickel, which he produced/directed/wrote/starred.

Under his own production banner, Ralph Waite Prods, he starred as a criminal lawyer in the 1983 TV series The Mississippi.

TV movies credits include the titular role in The Secret Life of John Chapman, OHMS, Angel City and The Gentleman Bandit.

Politically active, he twice ran unsuccessfully for a Congressional seat, including a run for the seat left vacant by the late Sonny Bono in 1998.

Ralph Waite was born June 22, 1928 in White Plains, New York and graduated from Bucknell University. He later studied for three years at Yale and earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree. At that juncture, he went on to have stints as a social worker for the Westchester County Department of Welfare, as well as publicity director and associate editor at Harper & Row. He was a minister at the United Church of Christ in Garden City, Long Island.
“He was a top notch minister and a dynamic actor in the pulpit even then,” former parishioner and actor Bill Hayes told TV Guide in 1975. “But I don't think Ralph ever enjoyed being asked to conform to the mold or the stereotype expected of most clergymen. He was disturbed by people telling him to straighten his tie or shine his shoes or fix the hole in his sock. He was a very individualistic guy who wanted to be himself.”

It was during his ministerial tenure that Waite traveled to his own Damascus, a night he spent with his parishioner Bill Hayes at his acting class. At age 32, Waite left the ministry to pursue acting.

His conversion from the church to the stage was immediately successful. In 1960, Waite got his first stage role in a Broadway production of Blues for Mister Charlie. In his first eight years of acting, he landed appearances in eight Broadway plays, including Hogan's Goat, Watering Place and The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald. He also performed Blues for Mister Charlie in London.

As his stage career gathered steam, Waite also garnered small roles in top films: Cool Hand Luke and Five Easy Pieces. In 1969, he played in a coming-of-age saga, Last Summer, which starred an up-and-coming Richard Thomas.

[Juliajms]

I'll miss him.

[DRW50]

This was a very classy tribute.

I never knew he was a minister.

Is that the same Bill Hayes as Doug on DAYS?

[Paul Raven]

Nice biography, but interesting that DOOL was brushed aside but the names of his primetime characters were mentioned.

Maybe Bill was somehow connected to his appearing on Days?

[Khan]

That's just the way it goes in "the biz," I guess. Even a short-lived (but critically acclaimed) cable series like "Carnivale" is worthier of mention in their eyes than some "hoary, old soap opera."

As a fan of "The Waltons," I am truly devastated at hearing this news.

[DRW50]

Most of the articles I've seen (TVLine, Deadline, etc.) have mentioned DAYS, so at least a few have.

Mary McDonough wrote some lovely comments about him on her Facebook page.

[jam6242]

Yes, it's the same Bill Hayes. Ralph was his minister when Bill lived in Long Island in the 50s and they remained friends after Ralph left the ministry. I remembered Ralph mentioning this back in the 70s and found an article in which he discussed it. Here's what he had to say about Bill taking him to his acting class:

I'd been having trouble with my family and Bill took care of me, thinking I was lonely. Which I was. So he took me to class to get my mind off things. And he decided, at 32, to pursue an acting career.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19721111&id=a6tHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JP8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1640,1796540

I don't recall Ralph and Bill sharing any scenes on Days unfortunately. Jason, do you know of any?

[Nate4]

Thanks, Jason. I'll miss Father Matt a lot.

[OldGHFan]

I will miss Pa Walton. Funny, I don't watch DAYS very often but did catch Arianna's christening and remembering seeing him in that episode. RIP.

[jo.frank88]

Hey Jason!

Do we know for sure if Ralph has appeared in his final episode? Or is there any chance he could still appear in any episodes the next 4 months? I just saw you posted Ari's christening scene as his final episode and didn't know if that was the final thing he has been in that has aired or if it is for sure his final scene. Thanks man

[Cat]

I suspected something must be up when they had that new priest be the sounding board for Eric on the show.

RIP, Mr. Waite. He was a great pa Walton, and had a very reassuring presence as a character actor. I loved his speaking voice! I wish we still spoke like that nowadays TBH. I really liked the way he played Father Matt as this kindly mentor to Eric but not a complete pushover. He could be stern at times, and it was quietly clear his first loyalty would be to the church.

[JAS0N47]

The Hollywood Reporter wrote the obituary, but I did all the rest of the tribute.

I can't recall any off-hand, unless there was maybe a group scene at St. Luke's.

I had suspected that Larry Poindexter was filling in until Ralph could return, especially with how quickly Father Matt was replaced after the Christening, so I believe he probably was not well enough to return in the past few months. The Christening was taped in September, so that was most likely his final episode. Not 100 percent sure, but just a gut feeling.

[SouthOfSoap]

RIP Ralph Waite. That's sad news indeed.

I echo others' sentiments that he had a calming and reassuring presence that positively affected others (and me).

TFP Jason

[jo.frank88]

Thanks Jason! And as always, thanks for the great tribute!!

[amybrickwallace]

God rest Ralph Waite. He was acting right up to the end, from DAYS to NCIS to Bones, which introduced him to a whole new generation of fans as well as giving the people who grew up watching him as John Walton new things to see him on.

I never knew about the connection with Bill Hayes. That's so great to hear.

He will definitely be missed, and as for the younger priest, would that be the same Larry Poindexter who was on Santa Barbara in the 80s?