Roger Ewing, who was known for his role as Deputy Marshal Thad Greenwood on Gunsmoke, has died at age 83.
The actor died on Dec. 18, 2025, according to an obituary shared by his family with Neptune Society.
Born in Los Angeles in January 1942, Ewing first appeared on Gunsmoke in 1965 in the season 10 episode “Song for Dying,” in which he portrayed Ben Lukens. His guest-starring role impressed the show’s producers, leading to him joining the main cast as Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood in season 11.
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After Burt Reynolds (Quint Asper) departed Gunsmoke in 1965, Ewing’s character rounded out the cast as a new young face, eventually appearing in more than 50 episodes of the Western. Ewing was also considered as a possible replacement for James Arness (Matt Dillon) amid the leading man’s disputes with CBS over his salary and ownership of the series. However, when Arness and the network resolved their issues, Ewing’s character was phased out, making his final appearance in the season 13 episode “The Prodigal” in 1967.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Ewing later reflected on his stint on Gunsmoke in an interview with the Alameda Times-Star, sharing his love for the show even before he joined the cast.
“I watched it every Saturday night,” he recalled. “Golly, I never thought that seven years later I’d be on the show. Why, I didn’t even have any ideas about being an actor.”
For Ewing, his role on one of his favorite shows seemed to be years in the making.
“I’ve never mentioned this before, but in my senior year at high school, our class staged a variety show, the topper of which was a satire of Gunsmoke,” he continued. “The smallest boy in class was cast as Matt Dillon, and I played Chester. It turned out to be a riot.”
Beyond his time on Gunsmoke, Ewing also made appearances on TV shows such as Bewitched, The Baileys of Balboa, The Bing Crosby Show, Rawhide, The Mothers-In-Law and Death Valley Days and in films such as 1964’s Ensign Pulver, 1965’s None But the Brave, 1969’s Smith! and 1972’s Play It As It Lays, which was his final credit. After he quit acting, Ewing became a photographer.
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