R.I.P. David Ketchum, Get Smart's Agent 13

The comic actor's family confirmed that he died August 10. He was 97.

By Emma Keates  |  August 22, 2025 | 4:53pm
Image: Don Adams (left) and David Ketchum (right) (YouTube)
TV News David Ketchum
R.I.P. David Ketchum, Get Smart's Agent 13

David Ketchum, the actor and writer best known for his goofy turn as Agent 13 in Get Smart, died August 10. His family confirmed the news, per The Hollywood Reporter. They also released the following statement: “He leaves behind a legacy of laughter, warmth and timeless television moments — reminding us all that sometimes, the simplest surprise (like someone perched in a mailbox) can yield the biggest smile.” Ketchum was 97.

A prolific comic actor, Ketchum appeared on shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Happy Days, The Odd Couple, The Partridge Family, and many more throughout his long career. Early on, he had memorable turns on both I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster and Camp Runamuck, on which he played a counselor named Spiffy. “Dave was a naturally funny guy,” Ketchum’s Camp Runamuck co-star Dave Madden wrote of him in 2015, per THR. “He more or less idolized Danny Kaye in Danny’s earlier days, and so an awful lot of the physical things he did in terms of takes and things were very Danny Kaye-ish in their style.”

Ketchum was perhaps best known, however, for his portrayal of Agent 13 on Get Smart, a role that frequently saw his character squeezing into small places like airport lockers, vending machines, mailboxes, and more. He later reprised the role in the 1989 film Get Smart, Again! as well as an episode of the show’s 1995 revival. 

Ketchum also had a lengthy career as a TV writer, in which he contributed to over four dozen shows, per THR. M*A*S*H, Wonder Woman, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, MacGyver, and Full House all number among his many credits.

 
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