‘Gunsmoke’ Star Roger Ewing Dies at 83
In 2025, People republished an article looking at what has happened to the cast of the beloved show Gunsmoke. Sadly, that article revealed that Gunsmoke stars like Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Dennis Weaver, Ken Curtis, and James Arness had all died. Now, another one of Gunsmoke's stars has sadly passed away.
In the early days of 2026, it was revealed that Roger Ewing has passed away after leading a long life, which included starring in Gunsmoke.
Roger Ewing, ‘Gunsmoke’ Actor Who Played Thad Greenwood, Dies at 83
On January 9th, 2025, The Hollywood Reporter published an article stating that Roger Ewing had died at 83 years old. The article revealed that the news was learned when Ewing's family published an obituary for the actor on neptunesociety.com. According to the obituary, Ewing lived from January 12th, 1945, until December 18th, 2025, was a resident of Morro Bay, California, and passed away at 83 years old.
On January 10th, 2026, Wide Open Country published an article looking back at Ewing's life. That article quoted a person named Mark Ashworth, who the outlet described as a friend of the actor's, who described the kind of person Ewing was. "Roger was a kind and decent man who never let his fame or station in life go to his head. Surely he's in Heaven, because if anyone was meant to be there, it's him. Rest In Peace, good lad."
Roger Ewing Enjoyed Hollywood Fame and Then Became a Photographer
Between 1965 and 1967, Roger Ewing memorably portrayed Gunsmoke's Thad Greenwood. Gunsmoke was a television staple that was truly beloved by millions of viewers. A massive hit at the height of its success, an article from The Los Angeles Times about the show becoming popular again states that Gunsmoke was the most-watched show on TV during four of its first five seasons. That article also detailed the show's legacy still having an impact since Gunsmoke became one of the top 10 most-streamed acquired TV shows in America during the weeks of March 3-9, 2025, and April 28-May 4, 2025.
While Ewing was best known for his Gunsmoke tenure, he also popped up in several more highly memorable TV shows. Ewing appeared in one episode of shows like Rawhide, The Bing Crosby Show, and Bewitched, among others.
The Hollywood Reporter's aforementioned article states that Ewing ultimately decided to give up his acting career. However, he remained active as an artist, as he went on to become a photographer, even traveling to Europe, Russia, and Mexico to capture photos. The outlet also reported that Ewing became active in Morro Bay, California's politcal scene, including running for a city council seat in 2003.