David Ketchum

David Ketchum (February 4, 1928 – August 10, 2025) was an American actor and comedian, best known for his appearances in television sitcoms, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Camp Runamuck, and Get Smart.

Ketchum was born on February 4, 1928, in Quincy, Illinois. He studied physics at UCLA and joined other UCLA students in entertaining military personnel around the world for the USO.

Ketchum had a radio program for seven years in San Diego, California. On television, he portrayed Counselor Spiffy in Camp Runamuck. He was also a regular on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, playing the role of Mel Warshaw.

In Get Smart, he played Agent 13, and was often seen in recurring jokes on the show hiding in unusual places such as mailboxes or fire hydrants. Ketchum reprised the role in the 1989 TV movie Get Smart Again as well as an episode of the 1995 revival of Get Smart on Fox. Ketchum also co-wrote one episode of the third season of the original series, titled "Classification: Dead." He also wrote scripts for other programs, including The Andy Griffith Show and Petticoat Junction.

In 1962, his comedy album The Long-Playing Tongue of Dave Ketchum was released. Billboard gave it a 4-star prefix for strong sales potential.

Films in which Ketchum appeared included Young Doctors in Love (1982) and The Other Sister (1999).

Ketchum married singer Louise Bryant in 1957 and had two daughters. He died of heart failure on August 10, 2025, in Thousand Oaks, California, at the age of 97. However, his death was not reported until August 22, 2025.