Ronnie Schell, the actor and comedian known for playing Marine Pvt. Duke Slater on the 1960s CBS sitcom “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.,” died Friday at age 94. He passed away of natural causes at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center following hospitalization after a recent fall, according to his publicist Harlan Boll, who spoke on behalf of Schell’s family.

Schell was a regular cast member on “Gomer Pyle” for five seasons, portraying the best friend of the title character played by Jim Nabors. After three seasons, he left the show to lead his own series, “Good Morning, World,” where he portrayed a disc jockey. Although the sitcom lasted only 26 episodes, Schell returned for the fifth and final season of “Gomer Pyle,” during which his character was promoted to corporal.

Throughout his career, Schell was affectionately dubbed “America’s Slowest Rising Comedian,” a phrase originally coined by San Francisco radio host Don Sherwood. Schell acknowledged the label in a 2011 interview, noting that while many of his contemporaries, such as Phyllis Diller and the Smothers Brothers, achieved rapid success, his rise was more gradual.

Born Ronald Ralph Schell in Richmond, California, on December 23, 1931, he served four years in the U.S. Air Force after high school. During his military service, he began entertaining, a passion he continued while attending San Francisco State University, graduating in 1958. His professional comedy career developed first at San Francisco’s Purple Onion club, where an initial two-week engagement extended to five months, sharing the stage with performers like Phyllis Diller and the Kingston Trio. The Kingston Trio subsequently hired him as an opening act for their nationwide college tour.

Schell refined his comedic style at San Francisco’s famed hungry i nightclub, alongside future stars such as Woody Allen and Mort Sahl. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he performed extensively in Las Vegas and contributed as a writer and sketch performer for Sherwood’s Bay Area radio and television programs.

His television appearances were numerous and varied, including roles on “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Patty Duke Show,” “The Love Boat,” “Mork & Mindy,” “Saved by the Bell,” “The Golden Girls,” and “Yes, Dear.” He also provided the voice for the hockey puck-shaped character in the “Peter Puck” cartoons, which aired during National Hockey League broadcasts in the 1970s. In the 1980s, Schell featured in commercials for Shakey’s Pizza.

Schell’s film credits exceed two dozen roles, including parts in “The Shaggy D.A.,” “Love at First Bite,” and “Jetsons: The Movie.” More recently, he served as a comedy adviser to actor Richard Dreyfuss for the 2019 Netflix film “The Last Laugh.”

He is survived by his wife, Janet Rodeberg; his sons, Gregory and Christian; and his granddaughter, Chiara.