‘The Waltons’
Waite is best known for playing John Walton on the beloved family drama from 1972-1981. He earned an Emmy nomination for the role, and directed 15 episodes of the series.
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‘The Mississippi’
Waite starred as Ben Walker for 23 episodes of the show, which centered on an attorney who retired to become a steamboat captain. The series ran for two seasons, from 1983-1984.
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‘The Bodyguard’
He played Herb Farmer, the father of Kevin Costner's character, in the 1992 Whitney Houston hit.
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‘Cliffhanger’
Waite acted opposite Sylvester Stallone in 1993's Cliffhanger, where he played the good-guy helicopter pilot Frank.
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‘Carnivale’
From 2003 to 2005, Waite 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.
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‘Letters to God’
He appeared in the 2010 Christian film, about an eight-year-old boy with cancer who enjoys writing letters to God.
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‘Bones’
Waite played Hank Booth, the grandfather of David Boreanaz's character, on three episodes of Bones. Executive producers Hart Hanson and Stephen Nathan called his character "the moral center of our show."
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‘NCIS’
He played Jackson Gibbs in eight episodes of the CBS procedural from 2008-2013.