Ronnie Schell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ronnie Schell
Schell in Good Morning World, 1967
Born	Ronald Ralph Schell (1931-12-23) December 23, 1931 (age 93) Richmond, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor comedian
Years active	1958–present
Spouse(s)	Janet Rodeberg ​ (m. 1968)​
Children	2

Ronnie Schell and Goldie Hawn in Good Morning World (1967)

Ronald Ralph "Ronnie" Schell (born December 23, 1931) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for playing Duke Slater in the 1960s TV show Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. He is also famous for his voice work in many animated shows.

Schell began his career as a stand-up comedian in San Francisco, California. He even appeared on a TV quiz show in 1959 hosted by the famous comedian Groucho Marx.

Early Life and Military Service

Ronnie Schell was born in Richmond, California, on December 23, 1931. After finishing high school, he joined the United States Air Force. He served for four years and earned the rank of airman first class.

Career in Television and Comedy

Gomer Pyle and Rise to Fame

Schell's most famous role was Duke Slater on the TV show Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. For three seasons, he played a Marine private who was the best friend of the main character, Gomer Pyle. Duke was a smart character from the city, which was a fun contrast to Gomer's country personality.

For one season, Schell left the show to star in his own comedy series, Good Morning World. He played a radio disc jockey. He later returned to Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. for its final season. This time, his character was a corporal who helped solve problems between Gomer and Sergeant Carter.

Because his fame grew slowly over time, Schell was jokingly called "America's Slowest Rising Comedian".

Voice Acting in Cartoons

Besides acting on screen, Schell was a talented voice actor. He was the voice of Jason in the animated series Battle of the Planets. He also voiced the hockey puck-shaped character in the Peter Puck cartoons. These cartoons were shown during National Hockey League games in the 1970s.

Over the years, he provided voices for many other cartoons, including:

• The Smurfs
• Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers
• DuckTales
• Jetsons: The Movie
• Recess

Guest Appearances and Commercials

Schell appeared as a guest star on dozens of popular TV shows. Some of these include The Andy Griffith Show, Happy Days, The Golden Girls, and Saved by the Bell. More recently, he appeared in an episode of the Disney Channel show Jessie.

In the 1980s, he was also the face of Shakey's Pizza in many of their television commercials.

Personal Life

Ronnie Schell married Janet Rodeberg in 1968. They have two sons, Greg and Chris.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of the many movies and TV shows Ronnie Schell has been in.

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Ronnie Schell para niños