James King Arness (May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011)
was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for 20 years. His brother was actor Peter Graves. 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 Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) and four more made-for-TV Gunsmoke movies in the 1990s. In Europe Arness reached cult status for his role as Zeb Macahan in the western series How the West Was Won.
James King Arness
05-26-1923 - 06-03-2011
Arness was married twice, first to Virginia Chapman from 1948 until their divorce in 1960. She died in 1976. Arness was married to Janet Surtees from 1978 until his death. He had two sons, Arness died of natural causes at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles, California on June 3, 2011.
Brother
Peter Graves Arness
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