Ellen Weston, the enchanting Dr. Steele of “Get Smart,” was not just a pretty face but a woman of immense talent and versatility. From the wild west of “Bonanza” to the futuristic world of “Logan’s Run,” Ellen graced our screens with her presence in numerous guest roles. Her final on-screen appearance, however, was as Suzanne Thurston on “The Young and the Restless.” Little did we know that this marked not the end of her acting career, but merely a shift in focus.
One way to rephrase it in a more natural and easy-to-read manner: The comedic spy series “Get Smart,” starring Don Adams as the bumbling Maxwell “Agent 86” Smart, was a beloved show from the late 1960s. The show’s success can be attributed to its creators, comedy legend Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, who later earned Academy Award nominations for their work on “The Graduate” and “Heaven Can Wait.
Originally airing from 1965 to 1970, it has been over five decades since “Get Smart” was on TV, and unfortunately, some of its actors have passed away, including Adams who died at the age of 82 in 2005. However, there are still many cast members from the main “Get Smart” series who are alive today. Let’s explore them further.
Barbara Feldon (Agent 99)
Without a doubt, Barbara Feldon’s Agent 99, whose character name remains undisclosed, is arguably one of the most significant figures on “Get Smart,” second only to Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart. Among CONTROL’s top agents, she stands out. She deftly assumes two roles: challenging Smart and serving as his romantic interest. Interestingly, Feldon has mentioned that unlike their characters, she and Adams developed a friendship rather gradually over time.
Though Max and 99 clicked right away, Don and I didn’t. We were cordial and professional towards each other, but over five years, we seldom spoke. When our show ended, we never reached out. Fast forward nineteen years, we did a reunion film, and it felt like kindness had been growing between us for years unbeknownst to me, and it flourished into a lovely friendship that lasted until his passing.
Feldon reprised her role in the 1989 TV film “Get Smart, Again!” and the short-lived 1995 series revival. Apart from Get Smart, she has starred in numerous other movies and television shows, such as the 1967 Dick Van Dyke comedy “Fitzwilly” and Michael Ritchie’s 1975 satire “Smile.” Although she hasn’t acted since 2006, Feldon has continued to create through writing. She has written two books: “Living Alone & Loving It: A Guide to Enjoying Solitude” and an autobiography named “Getting Smarter: My Life Story.
Bernie Kopell (Siegfried)
In an interview with the New York Theatre Guide, Bernie Kopell identified playing Siegfried in ‘Get Smart’ and collaborating with Lee J. Cobb in the CBS special of ‘Death of a Salesman’ as his career highlights. Notably, this puts ‘Get Smart’, a show not generally recognized for its impact on Kopell’s career, among his most significant achievements. It’s interesting to note that while Kopell is widely recognized for his role in ‘The Love Boat’, where he played Dr. Adam Bricker over ten seasons, some might argue that this is not his most iconic work on television.
It’s not surprising that the actor cherished his time on “Get Smart” given that he got to portray the entertaining villain, Siegfried, who was a key antagonist on the show. Plus, he had a fantastic working relationship with Don Adams. In fact, Kopell once said in an interview for Classic Television Showbiz that working with Adams felt like a piece of heaven. “He was receptive to me,” Kopell added, “he enjoyed when I helped him set up scenes, and we complemented each other well.
Given the context, it’s clear why Kopell eagerly participated in the same “Get Smart” reboots as Barbara Feldon. Besides the agent show and “The Love Boat,” he’s recognizable from a variety of roles spanning decades, thanks to his versatile acting career, which includes guest appearances on numerous hit shows like “Arrested Development” and “Grey’s Anatomy.
Ellen Weston (Dr. Steele)
One of CONTROL’s top scientists, specializing in poisons, Dr. Steele, played by Ellen Weston, graced three episodes of the show “Get Smart.” Before her 1981 appearance on this series, she had amassed an impressive acting portfolio, often taking on guest roles or recurring characters with smaller appearances. These roles spanned various shows such as “Bonanza,” “Mannix,” “Wonder Woman,” and “Logan’s Run,” where she appeared for a single episode. Additionally, she starred in numerous TV movies during the 1970s. Interestingly, her final acting role was also her longest-lasting one; from 1979 to 1981, she featured as Suzanne Thurston on “The Young and the Restless,” making a total of seven appearances.
Weston didn’t vanish from the entertainment world; instead, she shifted her focus from acting to scriptwriting. Her transition began in 1986 when she penned two episodes of the soap opera “Capitol”. Since then, she has written multiple TV movies and even served as co-head writer for the CBS soap opera “Guiding Light” between 2003 and 2004. Additionally, she has co-produced around six television films, including the 1999 film “And the Beat Goes On: The Sonny and Cher Story.
David Ketchum (Agent 13)
David Ketchum’s character Agent 13 is well-known for his exceptional skill at blending into various surroundings. Despite his dislike for missions involving concealment, he excels at surprising Maxwell Smart with a variety of bizarre disguises, from dumpsters to safety lockers. While it’s entertaining to imagine Ketchum in unusual hiding spots, it’s also easy to overlook that Agent 13 belongs to the category of agents who hide in confined spaces on “Get Smart.” Still, among these characters, Agent 13 stands out as one of the most prominent examples of this recurring joke due to the actor’s frequent appearances on the original series and in spin-offs like the 1989 movie “Get Smart, Again!” and the 1995 “Get Smart” reboot.
From the 1960s to 1999, Ketchum made appearances in more than 50 films and television programs, frequently as a one-time guest star. He’s also a versatile TV writer who has penned scripts and stories for series like “M*A*S*H,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “Wonder Woman,” “The Love Boat,” “Full House,” and notably, “Get Smart.” His most notable writing contributions were the 10 episodes he wrote for the iconic sitcom “Happy Days.” He also played guest roles in five episodes of the ABC classic, and served as an executive consultant for both “Happy Days” and its spinoff “Laverne & Shirley.
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2024-09-13 15:00