Celebrity News June 12, 2026
'Gomer Pyle' Actor Ronnie Schell Dies at 94 — 1st Person to Use 'Gaslighting' on TV
Splash News
Ronnie Schell, a veteran character actor remembered for his work on "Gomer Pyle: USMC," died Friday at 94.
Schell passed away from natural causes at UCLA Hospital.
Born December 23, 1931, in Richmond, California, he began his comedy career doing stand-up while serving in the Air Force.
One of his earliest gigs, in 1958, found him on a bill with Phyllis Diller and the Kingston Trio. He toured extensively with the latter, refining his act and joking of himself that he was America's "slowest-rising comedian."
When he was offered the role of Duke Slater, the best friend of the title character on the Jim Nabors sitcom "Gomer Pyle: USMC," he jumped at the chance. That lasted more than 90 episodes.
During his run on the show (1964-1969), Schell did something no one had ever done before. On the ninth episode of Season 2 (1965), his character suggested he and his buddies "gaslight" their sergeant (Frank Sutton). Though other examples exist of character referencing the 1944 George Cukor film, it was Schell's character who introduced gaslighting as a verb to the mainstream.
It didn't catch on right away. Schell said it on TV in 1965, it was commonly used around 2015, and it was Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2022.
From 1958 until 2022, Schell racked up more than 140 credits on TV and in films, including appearing on "The Patty Duke Show" (1965-1966), "Good Morning World" (1967-1968), "That Girl" (1966-1970), "Love, American Style" (1970-1971), "Butch Cassidy" (1973), "Alice" (1977 & 1979), "Charlie's Angels" (1979), "The Love Boat" (1981), "Down to Earth" (1984-1985), and "Phil of the Future" (2004).
Widely recognized for his unique voice, he lent it to "Fred Flintstone and Friends" (1977), "Yogi's Space Race" (1978), "Battle of the Planets" (1978-1980), "Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels" (1977-1980), "Shirt Tales" (1982-1983), "Pound Puppies" (1986), "The Flintstone Kids" (1986-1988), and many more.
His film appearances included "The Strongest Man in the World" (1975), "Gus" (1976), "The Shaggy D.A." (1976), and "The Cat from Outer Space" (1978), all Disney gems. He was also in George Hamilton's surprise hit "Love at First Bite" (1979).
Schell, a popular draw at autograph shows, is survived by his wife of 58 years, Janet; two children; and one granddaughter.
