James Arness
American actor (1923-2011) · United States · On the map · Actors · Died at 88
James King Arness was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke.
James Arness is read about 1,631 times a day, in 31 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026
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Gunsmoke: One Man's JusticeFilm, Producer1993
Gunsmoke: The Long RideFilm, Producer1990
Gunsmoke: The Last ApacheFilm, Matt Dillon1988
Red RiverFilm, Thomas Dunson1981
McClain's LawSeries, Det. Jim McClain1979
The Horror ShowFilm, (archive footage)1977
How the West Was WonSeries, Zeb Macahan1976
The MacahansFilm, Zeb Macahan1960Star on Hollywood Walk of FameAward1959
Alias Jesse JamesFilm, Marshal Matt Dillon (uncredited)1955
GunsmokeSeries, Producer
The Johnny Carson ShowSeries, 1955
Flame of the IslandsFilm, 1955Kelly Rand1954
Her Twelve MenFilm, Ralph Munsey1953
HondoFilm, Lennie1951
The Red Skelton ShowSeries
Cavalry ScoutFilm, 1951Barth1950
Lux Video TheatreSeries, Chuck Scott
In a Lonely PlaceFilm, 1950Young Detective (uncredited)1948
The Ed Sullivan ShowSeries
The Man from TexasFilm, 1948(uncredited)1947
Roses Are RedFilm, Ray (as James Aurness)1945Front Row CenterSeries1923Born26 May 1923People around James
John Wayne Produced Island in the Sky and Big Jim McLain
Jerry Jameson Directed Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (1992)
William A. Wellman Directed Battleground and Island in the Sky- John Sturges Directed The People Against O'Hara (1951)
John Farrow Directed Hondo (1953)
Burt Kennedy Directed The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1987)
Edward Ludwig Directed Big Jim McLain and Flame of the Islands
Vincent McEveety Directed McClain's Law
Dore Schary Produced Battleground and The Farmer's Daughter- Armand Deutsch Produced Carbine Williams and The Girl in White
Ward Bond Also in Hondo and Alias Jesse James
Paul Fix Also in Hondo and The Sea Chase
Amanda Blake Also in Gunsmoke and Stars in My Crown
Fess Parker Also in Island in the Sky and Alias Jesse James
Ann Doran Also in Island in the Sky (1953)
Hank Mann Also in The Sea Chase and Roses Are Red
Douglas Fowley Also in Horizons West and Roses Are Red
John Doucette Also in The Sea Chase and Carbine Williams
Robert J. Wilke Also in Carbine Williams and Gun the Man Down
Herbert Anderson Also in Island in the Sky and Battleground
Frank Fenton Also in Island in the Sky and Gun the Man Down
Hal Baylor Also in Big Jim McLain and Island in the Sky
Amy Stoch Also in Gunsmoke: The Last Apache (1990)- Bill Finnegan Produced The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1987)
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In a Lonely Place 1950
Stars in My Crown 1950
Them! 1954
The Thing from Another World 1951
Wagon Master 1950
Filmography 40
54 credits on file
Television 8
Media & music
Awards
About this person
He has the distinction of having played the role of Dillon in five decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) and four more made-for-television Gunsmoke films in the 1990s. In Europe, Arness reached cult status for his role as Zeb Macahan in the Western series How the West Was Won. He was the older brother of actor Peter Graves.
