<P> Ralph Waite ( June 22 , 1928 -- February 13 , 2014 ) was an American actor and political activist , best known for his role as John Walton , Sr. on The Waltons ( 1972 - 1981 ) , which he occasionally directed . He also had a recurring role in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs , the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs . Waite had supporting roles in movies like Five Easy Pieces ( 1970 ) , The Grissom Gang ( 1971 ) , The Bodyguard ( 1992 ) , and Cliffhanger ( 1993 ) . </P>
<P> Ralph Waite ( June 22 , 1928 -- February 13 , 2014 ) was an American actor and political activist , best known for his role as John Walton , Sr. on The Waltons ( 1972 - 1981 ) , which he occasionally directed . He also had a recurring role in NCIS as Jackson Gibbs , the father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs . Waite had supporting roles in movies like Five Easy Pieces ( 1970 ) , The Grissom Gang ( 1971 ) , The Bodyguard ( 1992 ) , and Cliffhanger ( 1993 ) . </P>
who plays leroy jethro gibbs father on ncis
who plays leroy jethro gibbs father on ncis
Ralph Waite
Ralph Waite