Ronnie Schell, ‘Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.’ and ‘That Girl’ Actor, Dies at 94
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- Ronnie Schell died Friday in Los Angeles of natural causes at age 94, his publicist confirmed to Variety.
- Schell starred in 92 episodes of 'Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.' as Duke Slater and appeared in three episodes of 'That Girl' alongside Marlo Thomas during the 1960s.
- Schell co-starred with Goldie Hawn on 'Good Morning World' and made guest appearances on 'The Patty Duke Show' and 'The Andy Griffith Show.'
- Schell accumulated more than 140 credits across film, TV, and stage, including film roles in 'Fatal Instinct,' 'The Devil and Max Devlin,' and 'The Revenge of the Red Baron.'
- Schell voiced characters on 'Jetsons,' 'Cat from Outer Space,' 'Rover Dangerfield,' 'Battle of the Planets,' and 'Goober and the Ghost Chasers,' and was credited as dialogue coach on Carl Reiner's 1984 film 'All of Me.'
- Schell began performing after auditioning for San Francisco's Purple Onion nightclub while a senior at San Francisco State University, and also served in the Air Force.
- Schell is survived by his wife Janet, sons Gregory and Christian, and granddaughter Chiara.
Why it matters: Schell's death closes a chapter on an era of versatile character actors who moved fluidly between live-action sitcoms, films, and voice work. His 92-episode 'Gomer Pyle' run paired with voice work on animated staples like 'Jetsons' gave him a multigenerational footprint across American television viewers.
