For millions of Americans, Gunsmoke was more than a television show—it was a weekly ritual. And now, longtime viewers are grieving the loss of one of the performers whose steady, understated presence helped make Dodge City feel like home.
Roger Ewing, the tall, soft-spoken actor best known for playing deputy marshal Thad Greenwood during the 1960s, has died at 83. His family confirmed that Ewing passed away on December 18 at his longtime home in Morro Bay, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Standing 6-foot-4 and known for his rugged, easygoing look, Ewing first appeared on Gunsmoke in February 1965 in the episode “Song for Dying,” portraying a character named Ben Lukens. Only months later, audiences were introduced to Thad Greenwood, who debuted in the third episode of season 11. Just 23 at the time, Ewing quickly became a familiar and calming presence on the long-running CBS western.
Thad was written as the son of an elderly Oklahoma sheriff, played by Paul Fix, who arrives in Dodge City seeking the men he believed responsible for his father’s fatal heart attack. Although his warrant could not be enforced in town, circumstances led to the suspects being killed or captured for cattle theft. With his purpose fulfilled, Marshal Matt Dillon—portrayed by James Arness—invited Thad to remain in Dodge as a deputy marshal.
Ewing later spoke about how naturally Thad fit into the show’s core group. With Thad’s family gone, he explained, Matt Dillon, Kitty, Doc, and Festus essentially became his new family. Whatever needed doing—an extra set of hands, another person to back someone up—Thad was always present, quietly filling the gaps.
During a period when the series briefly dipped in ratings, Ewing appeared in 50 episodes through September 1967. Once Gunsmoke regained momentum, his role was gradually reduced and eventually written out.
Born Roger Lawrence Ewing in Los Angeles on January 12, 1942, he had been a Gunsmoke fan long before he ever joined the cast. As a high school senior, he once played Chester—Dennis Weaver’s character—in a parody sketch of the series. In a 1966 interview, he recalled watching the show every Saturday night and never imagining he would one day appear on it.
After spending a year in college and working as a lifeguard, Ewing shifted toward acting. His first screen appearance came in the 1964 film Ensign Pulver, in an uncredited bit involving a beer bottle and a duck. Television roles followed soon after, including guest spots on Bewitched, Rawhide, The Bing Crosby Show, and The Baileys of Balboa. He also appeared in Frank Sinatra’s war film None But the Brave.
Ewing often joked that he was regularly typecast, frequently being chosen to play tall, awkward young men. After Burt Reynolds left Gunsmoke, producers wanted a younger presence and cast Ewing as Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood. During that same period, tensions between CBS and James Arness reportedly led producers to quietly consider potential changes to the show’s leading man—though that idea ultimately proved unnecessary. Once the dispute ended, Thad was phased out and replaced by Buck Taylor’s Newly O’Brien, who stayed with the series until it concluded in 1975.
Ewing came close to a major film breakthrough when director John Schlesinger reportedly considered him for the role of Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy (1969), though the part ultimately went to Jon Voight. Around that time, he also appeared as a bachelor contestant on The Dating Game, where future Bionic Woman star Lindsay Wagner chose a different suitor.
After leaving Gunsmoke, Ewing appeared on Death Valley Days and The Mothers-in-Law, and acted in films including Smith! (1969) alongside Glenn Ford and Play It as It Lays (1972). Eventually, he stepped away from acting entirely, reinventing himself as a photographer and traveling widely through Europe, Russia, Mexico, and the South Pacific.
In later years, he became involved in local politics and even ran for a city council seat in Morro Bay in 2003.
To Gunsmoke fans, Roger Ewing will always be Thad—the dependable young deputy who never needed to be the toughest or the loudest, only someone you could rely on. And for those who spent their Saturday nights in Dodge City, his calm presence remains part of what made the show feel like home.
