From the 1950s to the 1990s, James Arness was one of the most recognizable faces on American television. His professional life spanned the interval between the two decades. He was at the time one of Hollywood’s most well-liked Western drama actors due to his charming and authoritative demeanor as well as his powerful physique.
James gained notoriety when he was chosen to play Marshal Matt Dillon in the television series “Gunsmoke,” a role that he played for twenty years. Throughout the duration of the show, James played Dillon. The following productions in which James has appeared are associated with it because he has been known for it throughout his whole career.
From 1955 to 1975, he appeared in the weekly Western television series “Gunsmoke” as a leading actor. He played the same character in “Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge,” a 1987 television film. Additionally, he performed the same role in the movies that were produced after the television series came to an end. “Gunsmoke: The Last Apache” was released in 1990, followed by “Gunsmoke: To the Last Man” in 1992, “Gunsmoke: The Long Ride” in 1993, and “Gunsmoke: One Man’s Justice” in 1994.
In addition to the “Gunsmoke” television series franchise, James gained notoriety as an actor in the 1950s by appearing in a number of films. The movies “Wyoming Mail,” “Two Lost Worlds,” “The People Against O’Hara,” and “Iron Man” are just a few examples.
But his role as Zeb Macahan in the TV show “How the West Was Won” solidified his reputation as a television star in both the US and Europe. James has shared the screen with illustrious individuals like Bruce Boxleitner, Richard Kiley, Eva Marie Saint, and Fionnula Flanagan. A paperback novelization of one of the first few episodes was stretched to an epic length of 400 pages as a result of the show’s enormous popularity.
Despite the fact that his life appeared to be fairly beautiful on the outside, James had a rather turbulent life prior to marrying his second wife, who remained his lifelong companion until the very end.
James King Aurness was raised in an extremely affluent household. His mother, Ruth Duesler, was a writer, and his father, Rolf Cirkler Aurness, was a prosperous businessman. James, who was of German ancestry, was raised in Norway. James dabbled in stage acting when he was younger, but as he became older, he had little interest in turning it into a career and instead heeded the call of the seas to seek a career in the maritime sector.
He is Peter Graves’ older brother, an actor who has starred in “Airplane” and “Mission: Impossible.” Their mother fostered a passion of the arts in them as they grew up. James took a lot longer to recognize that it was supposed to be his path in life than Peter did to follow it.
In the year 1943, James was enlisted in the Navy. During the Second World War, he and Peter both served in the military, but tragically, he was injured while defending his nation on the front lines. During the Battle of Anzio, he suffered life-threatening injuries to his right leg. He underwent several surgery before being eventually medically discharged from the hospital.
Years later, when James was a seasoned veteran at the height of his career, he finally pursued his hidden love, which was acting. He was discovered by a Hollywood agency when he was performing at a theater in Los Angeles, and the agent put him in contact with Dore Schary, who cast him in a few parts in 1947.
One year later, he wed Virginia Chapman, who would become his first wife. Craig was given to James as an adoptive son. Rolf, who was crowned the World Surfing Champion in 1970, and Jenny were the offspring of James and Virginia, who had two children together. On the other side, Craig decided to pursue photography and eventually worked his way up to become an official photographer for National Geographic.
However, after a marriage of 15 years, James and Virginia decided to separate, and James was awarded legal custody of their children as a result of the split. After some time, Virginia ran away to San Bernardino, California, subsequently missing just after the divorce was finalized. She passed away in 1977 as a result of an overdose of drugs, two years after her daughter had passed away from the same condition.
James continued to work toward his goals in the professional world despite the breakup. Janet Surtees, who would later become Arness’s second wife, appeared in the latter seasons of the television show “Gunsmoke.” He was introduced to Janet by the spouse of his makeup artist, Glen Alden. At the time, Janet and Alden’s wife worked together at the same clothing business.
Janet was first dubious about the possibility of meeting James, a television personality, but since her son was a fan of James’s, she decided to give it a go and take that chance.
“I’m sitting there anxiously waiting, when all of a sudden I hear someone knocking on the door. And then this enormous guy walks in the door, and my first thought was, “Oh my god.” “He is a huge man, and He was extremely nice,” she remembers thinking about James when they first met.
“We were introduced to one other, and then we sat down. Jim was so kind, and he was just so down-to-earth that it completely took away whatever fear I had. We simply began chatting, and he was a skier, and I was into skiing.”
After the first get-together, Janet didn’t contact James for another three months after that. Because they decided to meet together for another meal, it was the beginning of the two of them embarking on a journey of a lifetime together as a couple.
James and Janet exchanged vows and married husband and wife in 1978 at a ceremony in Brentwood, Los Angeles. James and Janet maintained their joyful relationship even after James ceased playing Marshal Matt Dillon on “Gunsmoke” and in his films.
According to the Los Angeles Times, James, who was 88 years old when he passed away on March 16, 2014, did so from natural causes. Janet stayed by his side until he breathed his last and died. He left Janet, his wife, his son Rolf, who resided in Virginia, and James, his stepson, who resided with Janet, behind.