James Arness (born May 26, 1923) is an American actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for 20 years. Arness has the distinction of having played the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in five separate decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in the decade of the 1980s (1987) Return to Dodge, and four more made-for-TV Gunsmoke movies in the 1990s.
Arness was born as James Aurness in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents wer...
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James Arness (born May 26, 1923) is an American actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for 20 years. Arness has the distinction of having played the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in five separate decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in the decade of the 1980s (1987) Return to Dodge, and four more made-for-TV Gunsmoke movies in the 1990s.
Arness was born as James Aurness in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents were Rolf Cirkler Aurness and Ruth Duesler, descendants of Norwegian and German immigrants. Arness attended Washburn High School, Minneapolis, (Class of 1941). Arness is the elder brother of actor Peter Graves. He was the tallest actor ever to play a lead role, standing either 6'6" or 6'7" inches.
Arness served as a rifleman in the United States Army during World War II with the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, and was severely wounded during Operation Shingle, at Anzio, Italy.
According to his 2001 autobiography, James Arness – An Autobiography, he...
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