Biography
David Ketchum was an American actor and television writer. He appeared as the recurring character Agent 13 on the sitcom Get Smart (1966–1967), often hidden in confined spaces such as mailboxes and vending machines. He also had regular roles as Mel Warshaw on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962–1963) and Counselor Spiffy on Camp Runamuck (1965–1966).
Ketchum wrote episodes for numerous series, including the MASH episode 'Tuttle' (1973), for which he received a Writers Guild of America nomination. His other writing credits include episodes of Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, MacGyver and Full House. He began writing in 1967 while continuing to act in guest roles on shows such as The Andy Griffith Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show*.
Born in Quincy, Illinois, Ketchum studied physics at UCLA and later worked in radio before entering television. He was married to singer Louise Ketchum from 1957 until his death in Thousand Oaks, California, in 2025.
