Ron Glass is one of those rarities. He has survived a long and iconic career in the not so hallowed studios of Hollywood. At age 60 he is, once again, forging a new direction with his many faceted talents.

Glass established himself as a TV icon in the role of Detective Harris in the Emmy winning 1970’s sitcom “Barney Miller.” And he is doing it all over again as Shepherd Book, the mysterious spiritual force behind the crew of Serenity.

Watching him portray the enigmatic Book on the Firefly series, it did not surprise me to learn that Glass has been a practicing Buddhist for over 20 years. The grace and fluidity he brings to the character gives away the fact that the real man behind the actor’s mask has found that inner peace within himself.

In a recent interview with The Indianapolis Star, Glass was asked if as an actor, with such a long and successful career, did he feel that he has had the opportunity to play every role he has desired to do? To which Glass replied, “Oh no, absolutely not. But I’ve had the good fortune to do a lot of parts that I really loved. I would love to do Book for more years. And I loved Harris on ‘Barney Miller’…..but I don’t feel like my work is [yet] complete.”

Ron Glass will reprise the role of Shepherd Book in the September 30th theatrical release of the “Serenity” movie.