Ronnie Schell

Actor and comedian Ronnie Schell wanted, at first, to be a professional baseball player. He reached semi-pro before joining the Air Force. While there, he got his first taste of performing, by appearing as an emcee and comedian in variety shows. He went on to attend San Francisco State University where he helped form a successful comedy duo. Less than a year later, he went solo and took his act to the stages of Las Vegas to open for bigger names. Before long, he was making television appearances, beginning in 1964 with the war-comedy series "Gomer Pyle, United StatesM.C.," which starred Jim Nabors as a blundering Marine. He played the role of Private Duke Slater, Gomer Pyle's bunkmate, on the program for three seasons until he left to star as a disc jockey on the sitcom "Good Morning, World." When that program was canceled after a year, he returned to "Gomer Pyle" for the final season. In 1975, he made the first of several minor film appearances with a role in the Disney comedy "The Strongest Man in the World," which starred Kurt Russell. On top of his on-screen career, Schell was also a successful voice actor, voicing characters in cartoons like "Smurfs," "The Flintstone Kids," and "Jetsons: The Movie." Ronnie Schell died on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA at the age of 94.