Snell aspired to be a performer early on. He was born and raised in Kansas, attending Kansas University, where he studied theater. It was while in college that he became friends with fellow acting classmate Jay Karnes, who would go on to land a major role in “The Shield” as Detective Dutch Wagenbach. Snell and Karnes moved to Hollywood in the late 1980s and struggled to find work. Both appeared in plays at small theaters, where attendance was often minimal at best. But they managed to develop yet another relationship which would prove critical later on, with Shawn Ryan, a roommate of Karnes, who staged one of their plays and, years later, would go on to create “The Shield.”
As work continued to be scarce, Snell eventually moved back to Wichita and appeared in plays as well as industrial and promotional videos for retail outlets and auto parts stores. He then moved to Kansas City where he landed a bit part in the 1995 HBO telefilm, “Truman,” starring Gary Sinise. Snell’s one ad-libbed line of dialogue was cut from the finished film. Despite ending up on the cutting room floor, a still determined Snell decided to give acting another go, returning to Los Angeles, where fortune favored him.
In 2001, he got a call from old friends Jay Karnes. Ryan, who had enjoyed some success as a writer on “Nash Bridges” (CBS, 1996-2001), had been contracted to create a gritty police drama for the fledgling cable network FX, and as part of his decision to cast unique character actors instead of typical pretty-boys for the cops roles, he selected Karnes for a leading role. Snell was offered a small role as part of the Strike Team; Ryan told him it was the best he could do, as the show’s meager budget did not allow for another speaking part. But once the show was picked up and began gaining popularity, the Strike Team’s presence was expanded and the Ronnie Gardocki character became a regular, with an occasional line or two – most memorably “The ladies love the ‘stache.”
After a rash of Emmy nominations, “The Shield” became a cult smash, and Internet message boards were soon buzzing about characters and plotlines – enthusiasm was so intense that even smaller-profile characters like Gardocki developed loyal followings. Snell’s profile was upped considerably with each season – first, by having his face burned on a stove grill by a local drug lord in the second season, followed by his character formulating a doomed plan to steal money from the Armenian mob in the third season. By the fifth season, the show’s popularity was at its peak – and in a season that saw the death of a major character – Snell’s fellow Strike Team member, Detective Curtis “Lemonhead” Lemansky (Kenneth Johnson) – Snell was made an official full-time cast member with his name in the opening credits at long last.
In the meantime, the actor landed a few supporting roles and voice-over parts. He appeared as a poker player in “Ride with the Devil” (1999), the independent movie “Fueling the Fire” (2002), and the short film, “Draw the Pirate” (2004). His voice can be heard in the video games “Call of Duty 2” and “Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.”
To the delight of “Shield” fans, he appeared with his co-star from the show, Kenneth Johnson, in the Hallmark Channel made-for-television western, “Desolation Canyon” (2006). Johnson may have received the above the title billing, but for once, Snell was handed the majority of the dialogue, playing a prim Boston banker who helps co-stars Stacy Keach and Patrick Duffy track down a group of outlaws, led by Johnson.