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Roger Ewing, best known for playing Deputy Sheriff Thad Greenwood on Gunsmoke, has died. He was 83 years old.
In an obituary, the family announced that Ewing passed away on December 18, 2025. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ewing first appeared on Gunsmoke in February 1965 at the age of 23, playing the role of Ben Lukens.
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Later that year, Ewing first appeared as Thad in the third episode of season 11, playing the young lieutenant and handyman for 50 episodes until September 1967.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ewing got his start in acting during his senior year of high school when he appeared on a variety show that satirized Gunsmoke. After attending college for a year and working as a lifeguard, he turned to acting, making his screen debut in 1964 in an uncredited role in the film Ensign Pulver.
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That same year, he made guest appearances on Bewitched, The Baileys of Balboa, and The Bing Crosby Show. He continued to have acting credits in 1965, including “None But the Brave” and “Rawhide.”
After starring in Gunsmoke, Ewing appeared in Stepmothers in 1967. His last television appearance was in 1970’s Death Valley Days, while his last two film appearances were in 1969’s The Smiths! and 1972’s “Play It as It Lays.”
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ewing quit acting to pursue photography, traveling to Mexico, Russia, Europe and the South Pacific. The newspaper reported that he was also active in local politics, running for election to the Morro Bay City Council in his hometown in 2003.
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According to Extra, Ewing never married or had children, but other family members survive.
