James Arness passed on today at age 88. I used to watch every episode of Gunsmoke....loved that show.
Over the two decades of "Gunsmoke" episodes from 1955 to 1975, Arness worked with hundreds of actors, some of them just up-and-comers such as Harrison Ford, Burt Reynolds and Charles Bronson. He also worked with Bette Davis.
Arness also acted in the 1951 sci-fi classic "The Thing," and his 6-foot-7 height made the creature more believable, according to his website.
After "Gunsmoke," Arness continued acting in television in the mini-series "How the West Was Won" in 1978-79 and "McLain's Law" in 1981-82.