David Ketchum, Agent 13 On ‘Get Smart,’ Dies At 97

David Ketchum in a promotional photo for the unsold ABC pilot ‘Where’s the Fire?’ circa 1975

Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

David Ketchum, a character actor, writer and familiar face on television during the 1960s and 1970s, best remembered for his recurring role as the perpetually unlucky Agent 13 on Get Smart, died in a care facility in Thousand Oaks, California on August 10. He was 97.

Born on February 4, 1928, Ketchum began his entertainment career as a stand-up comic before transitioning to acting. He was a series regular in two short-lived sitcoms — I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster (1962–63) and Camp Runamuck (1965–66) — before landing his most iconic role.

From 1966 to 1967, Ketchum appeared on the hit spy spoof Get Smart as Agent 13, the hapless undercover operative who always found himself hidden in the most inconvenient places — from vending machines to mailboxes — when receiving orders from Maxwell Smart (Don Adams). Though his appearances were brief, his deadpan delivery and perfectly pitched frustration made the character a fan favorite.

Before and after Get Smart, Ketchum guest-starred on numerous popular series, including The Munsters, Bewitched, Perry Mason, The Andy Griffith Show, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Love, American Style. He also acted in five episodes of Happy Days and reprised his role as Agent 13 in the 1989 TV movie Get Smart, Again! and the short-lived 1995 reboot..

His film credits included Good Neighbor Sam (1964), The Grasshopper (1970), Bless the Beasts & Children (1971), Your Three Minutes Are Up (1973), The North Avenue Irregulars (1979), Love at First Bite (1979), The Main Event (1979), Young Doctors in Love (1982), and The Other Sister (1999).

Ketchum was also known to audiences as Murph in a series of commercials for Union 76 gas stations.

In addition to acting, Ketchum had a prolific writing career. He wrote for several television series, including the early Garry Marshall sitcom Hey, Landlord!, as well as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Wonder Woman, MASH*, MacGyver, and Highway to Heaven. His final writing credit was on Full House in 1990.

Ketchum is survived by his wife of 68 years, Louise; their daughters, Nicole and Wendy; three grandchildren; and a great-grandson.