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Fans of the cult sitcom Get Smart (1965) will recall David Ketchum as the hapless Agent 13, known for being squeezed into tiny spaces like airport lockers, vending machines, fire hydrants, and mailboxes. Ketchum may have been accustomed to tight spots, as he was reportedly born in an elevator. However, in his own words: "The hardest part for me was when they put Agent 13 in a washing machine. I'm six-foot-two, so fitting into cramped places is difficult, and a washing machine is about as cramped as it gets."
David Ketchum hailed from Quincy, Illinois, the son of Cecil Estel Ketchum (1894-1977) and Flora M. Mueller (1897-1959). Originally, he majored in physics at UCLA with intentions of becoming an electrical engineer. However, his curiosity about what makes people laugh led him to join a group of fellow students performing on the USO circuit to entertain GIs overseas. With support from Bob Hope and Doris Day, he later hosted his own radio show in San Diego, which aired for seven years.
Ketchum made his television debut in 1961. His first regular role was Mel Warshaw, the inept carpenter in the ABC sitcom I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962), starring John Astin and Marty Ingels. He then played Senior Counselor Spiffy, one of the main leads in Camp Runamuck (1965), a family comedy centered on the antics at two rival youth camps. Alongside guest roles on other shows, Ketchum also worked as a voice actor on the animated series Roger Ramjet (1965). In 1966, he succeeded Victor French as Agent 13 on Get Smart, a role he reprised in a 1989 telemovie and a short-lived sequel series in 1995.
Beyond acting, Ketchum was a prolific screenwriter. For Get Smart, he wrote the episode 'Classification: Dead' and contributed scripts to shows such as Here's Lucy (1968), Barefoot in the Park (1970), Happy Days (1974), and Laverne & Shirley (1976). His writing extended beyond comedy, providing dramatic scripts for series like The Six Million Dollar Man (1974), T.J. Hooker (1982), and MacGyver (1985). He was co-nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for the M*A*S*H (1972) episode 'Tuttle.'
Ketchum was married to singer Louise Bryant from 1957 until his death.
