Last Surviving Cast Member of 'Gomer Pyle: USMC' Dies at 94

Ronnie Schell, the actor and comedian best known for playing Pvt. Duke Slater on the hit CBSsitcomGomer Pyle: USMC, has died. He was 94.

According to Deadline, Schell died of natural causes on June 12 at UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles. His family announced the news.

Born Ronald Ralph Schell on Dec. 23, 1931, in Richmond, California, Schell got his start as a stand-up comedian while attending San Francisco State University. After performing at famed San Francisco clubs including the Purple Onion and Hungry I, he built a successful career that would span nearly seven decades.

Related: Child Star Mourns Death of Fellow ‘Andy Griffith Show’ Actor and Close Friend

Schell became a familiar face to television viewers thanks to his role as Duke Slater on Gomer Pyle: USMC. He appeared in 92 episodes of the beloved military comedy between 1964 and 1969, playing Gomer’s friend and fellow Marine. When Schell briefly left the series to star in the sitcom Good Morning World, Duke eventually returned for the show’s final season, having been promoted to corporal.

A spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle: USMC starred Jim Nabors as the good-hearted but accident-prone Marine recruit Gomer Pyle and Frank Sutton as his perpetually exasperated Gunnery Sgt. Vince Carter. Rather than focusing on military conflicts, the show centered on the relationship between the innocent, optimistic Gomer and his hard-driving drill instructor, Sgt. Carter. Audiences embraced the pair’s unlikely friendship, helping make the series a lasting television favorite.

The sitcom was one of television’s biggest hits of the 1960s, never finishing lower than No. 10 in the Nielsen ratings during its five-season run and ending its run as the second-highest-rated show in America.

Schell’s career extended far beyond Gomer Pyle. His nearly 150 screen credits included 26 episodes of Good Morning World, 13 episodes of Butch Cassidy, recurring roles on That Girl and Santa Barbara, and guest appearances on shows such as Happy Days, Adam-12 and Emergency!.

Related: Child Star Remembered for ‘Leave It to Beaver’ Dies at 76

He also became a prolific voice actor, lending his talents to animated favorites including The Smurfs, DuckTales, Snorks, Shirt Tales, Pound Puppies, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels and Battle of the Planets, for which he voiced characters across 85 episodes.

Remarkably, Schell continued acting well into his later years. His final screen credits came in 2020 and 2022, meaning he was still working professionally at around age 90.

With Schell’s passing, the main cast of Gomer Pyle: USMC has now fully passed away. The most recent loss before Schell was actress Elizabeth MacRae, who played Gomer’s girlfriend Lou-Ann Poovie and died in 2024 at age 88.

Schell is survived by family, friends and generations of fans who remember him as the cheerful Duke Slater and one of television’s most dependable character actors.

Related: Child Star Mourns Death of Fellow ‘Andy Griffith Show’ Actor and Close Friend