James Arness

James Arness
Arness in 1970
Born	James King Aurness (1923-05-26)May 26, 1923 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	June 3, 2011(2011-06-03) (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Alma mater	Beloit College
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1947–1994
Television	Gunsmoke (1955–1975) How the West Was Won (1976–1979)
Height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Spouses	Virginia Chapman ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1960)​ Janet Surtees ​ ​ (m. 1978)​
Partner	Thordis Brandt (1965–1972)
Children	3
Relatives	Peter Graves (brother)
Military career
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1943–1945
Further information Rank Corporal Unit 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment 3rd Infantry Division Battles / wars World War II Battle of Anzio Awards Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart
Website	jamesarness.com

James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke. 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.