James Arness

A notable exception was a brief turn as a big city policeman in the short-lived 1981 series, McClain's Law.
. Since Gunsmoke ended, Arness has continued to perform primarily in western-themed movies and television series, including How the West Was Won, and five made-for-television Gunsmoke reunion movies between 1987 and 1994. He is best known for his supporting work on St. Elsewhere, which earned him five consecutive Emmy Award nominations starting in 1984. In fact, Wayne recommended Arness for the role of Matt Dillon. Edward James Begley, Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is a TV and film actor, and the son of actor Ed Begley. He was a close personal friend of John Wayne's and co-starred in a film with him called Big Jim McClain.

James Arness served in the United States Army during World War II and was severely wounded at the Battle of Anzio. Though primarily identified with Westerns, he also is remembered for appearing in two science fiction films, The Thing from Another World and Them!. He is the brother of Peter Graves. James Arness (originally Aurness) (born May 26, 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, a role he played for 20 years, to this day the longest any actor has played the same role on the same show in prime time.