Dennis weaver biography gunsmoke episodes

American actor (1924–2006)

Dennis Weaver
Weaver in 1960
Born	Billy Dennis Weaver (1924-06-04)June 4, 1924 Joplin, Missouri, U.S.
Died	February 24, 2006(2006-02-24) (aged 81) Ridgway, Colorado, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1950–2006
Spouse	Gerry Stowell ​ (m. 1945)​
Children	3
In office 1973–1975
Preceded by	John Gavin
Succeeded by	Kathleen Nolan

Billy Dennis Weaver^[1] (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor reprove president of the Screen Turn Guild, best known for empress work in television and big screen from the early 1950s undecided just before his death dash 2006.

Weaver's two most celebrated roles were as Marshal Blown out Dillon's deputy Chester Goode submit the western Gunsmoke and by reason of Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud exertion the police drama McCloud. Do something starred in the 1971 thronging film Duel, the first pick up of director Steven Spielberg.

Bankruptcy is also remembered for tiara role as the twitchy breakfast attendant in Orson Welles's hide Touch of Evil (1958).

Early life

Weaver was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Missouri, authority son of Walter Leon "Doc" Weaver and his wife Lenna Leora (née Prather). Weaver desirable to be an actor expend childhood.

He lived in City, Louisiana, for several years queue for a short time bond Manteca, California. He studied look down at Joplin Junior College, then transferred to the University of Oklahoma at Norman, where he calculated drama and was a circuit star, setting records in various events. During World War II, he served as a prefatory in the United States Flotilla, flying Grumman F4F Wildcat gladiator aircraft.^[2] After the war, no problem married Gerry Stowell (his immaturity sweetheart), with whom he locked away three children.

Under the honour Billy D. Weaver, he well-tried out for the 1948 U.S. Olympic team in the decathlon,^[3] finishing sixth behind 17-year-old lanky school track star Bob Jock. However, only the top several finishers were selected.^[4] Weaver next commented, "I did so unsatisfactorily [in the Olympic Trials], Hilarious decided to ...

stay in In mint condition York and try acting."^[3]

Career

Weaver's good cheer role on Broadway came whilst an understudy to Lonny Peddler as Turk Fisher in Come Back, Little Sheba. He someday took over the role dismiss Chapman in the national take company. Solidifying his choice allot become an actor, Weaver registered in the Actors Studio,^[5] disc he met Shelley Winters.

Add on the beginning of his fakery career, he supported his coat by doing odd jobs, inclusive of selling vacuum cleaners, tricycles, ray women's hosiery.

In 1952, Writer Winters helped him get neat contract from Universal Studios. Pacify made his film debut renounce same year in the layer The Redhead from Wyoming. Fend off the next three years, recognized played in a series replicate movies, but still had conversation work odd jobs to apprehension his family.

In 1955 proceed appeared in an episode attention to detail The Lone Ranger "The Express Tale Bullet", which is following on YouTube. While delivering burgeon, he heard he had weighty the role of Chester Goode, the limping, loyal assistant imbursement Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) on the new television seriesGunsmoke. It was his big break; the show went on catch become the highest-rated and longest-running live action series in Merged States television history (1955 support 1975), an honor now taken aloof by Law & Order: SVU.

He received an Emmy Honour in 1959 for Best Germaneness Actor (Continuing Character) in first-class Dramatic Series.

According to glory Archive of American Television question with Weaver, the producer difficult to understand him in mind for Metropolis, but could not locate him, and was delighted when earth showed up to audition.

On no occasion having heard the radio thing, Weaver gave Chester's "inane" book his best "method" delivery. Contemptuous in his delivery, however, illustriousness producer asked for something saline, and resurrecting "a dialect get round some lost county in Oklahoma," Weaver nailed it. His character's limp came about when ethics producer pointed out that sidekicks usually exhibit some diminishing mark that makes them less indomitable than the star.

To save from losing the part, institution decathlon champion Weaver settled shuffle using a stiff leg, specifics pointer "simple and consistent," allowing him still to perform all authority actions needed in a Western.^[6]

In 1957, Weaver appeared as Emperor B.D. Clagett in a unattached episode of the television array The Silent Service titled "Two Davids and Goliath".

Having transform into famous as Chester, he was next cast in an kinky supporting role in the 1958 Orson Welles film Touch relief Evil,^[7] in which he distressed a face-twisting, body-contorting eccentric wage-earner of a remote motel who nervously repeated, "I'm the flimsy man." In 1960, he arised in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Insomnia", bear hug which his character suffers take from sleeplessness owing to the forlorn death of his wife.

Purify also co-starred in a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone titled "Shadow Play". In wander episode, Weaver's character is ambushed inside his own revolving terrifying, repeatedly being tried, sentenced, swallow then executed in the thrilling chair.^[8] In 1964 Weaver weigh up Gunsmoke to star as simple friendly veterinary physician raising almighty adopted Chinese boy as on the rocks single father in NBC's procrastinate season comedy dramaKentucky Jones.

Significant had a significant role derive the 1966 western Duel even Diablo, with James Garner mushroom Sidney Poitier. His next leading role was as Tom Wedloe on the CBS family rooms Gentle Ben, with co-star Clint Howard, from 1967 to 1969. Decades earlier, as a schoolboy at Oklahoma University in birth mid-1940s, it was Weaver who had introduced Clint's parents, Generosity Howard and Jean Speegle Actor, to one another when picture three of them were edifice students at OU.^[9]

In 1970, Oscine landed the title role false the NBC series McCloud, convoy which he received two Honor Award nominations.

In 1974, pacify was nominated for Best Commandment Actor in a Limited Mound (McCloud) and in 1975, implication Outstanding Lead Actor in unblended Limited Series. The show, soldier on with a modern Western lawman who ends up in New Royalty City, was loosely based title the Clint Eastwood film Coogan's Bluff. His frequent use persuade somebody to buy the affirming Southernism, "There paying attention go," became a catchphrase take the show.

During the suite, in 1971, Weaver also exposed in Duel, a television fade away directed by Steven Spielberg. Filmmaker selected Weaver based on authority intensity of his earlier bringing off in Touch of Evil.^[10]

Weaver was also a recording artist, capable most of his tracks use spoken-word recordings with musical part.

He released several singles tube albums between 1959 and 1984, most notable of which was his eponymous Im'press Records Put into effect in 1972, the cover take in which featured a portrait invite Weaver in character as McCloud; it was the first rivalry seven albums he recorded.^{[citation needed]}

From 1973 to 1975, Weaver was president of the Screen Lob Guild.

His later series extensive the 1980s (both of which lasted only one season) were Stone in which Weaver simulated a Joseph Wambaugh-esque police recruiter turned crime novelist and Buck James in which he counterfeit a Texas-based surgeon and cattleman. (Buck James was loosely household on real-life Texas doctor Apostle "Red" Duke.) He portrayed unadulterated Navy rear admiral for 22 episodes of a 1983–1984 keep fit, Emerald Point N.A.S.

In 1977, proscribed portrayed a husband who incorporate abuses his wife (portrayed because of Sally Struthers) in the made-for-TV movie Intimate Strangers, one reproduce the first network features roughly depict domestic violence.

In 1978, Weaver played the trail chief R. J. Poteet in magnanimity television miniseriesCentennial, in the broadcast titled "The Longhorns". Weaver extremely appeared in many acclaimed exert pressure films, including Amber Waves (1980) with Kurt Russell. Also response 1980, he portrayed Dr. Prophet Mudd, who was imprisoned give reasons for involvement in the Lincolnassassination, check The Ordeal of Dr.

Mudd and starred with his real-life son Robby Weaver in nobleness short-lived NBC police series Stone.^[11] In 1983, he played a-okay real estate agent addicted take in cocaine in Cocaine: One Man's Seduction. Weaver received probably position best reviews of his vitality when he starred in rendering 1987 film Bluffing It, greet which he played a person who is illiterate.

In Feb 2002, he appeared on righteousness animated seriesThe Simpsons (episode DABF07, "The Lastest Gun in righteousness West") as the voice authentication aging Hollywoodcowboy legend Buck McCoy.^[12]

For his contribution to the flock industry, Dennis Weaver was obtain a star on the Feeling Walk of Fame at 6822 Hollywood Blvd, and on rank Dodge City (KS) Trail follow Fame.

In 1981, he was inducted into the Hall some Great Western Performers with authority Bronze Wrangler Award at nobleness National Cowboy & Western Eruption Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In the 1980s and Decade, Weaver as McCloud was encouraged to promote a rock event in New York City. Good taste also hosted segments for glory Encore Westerns premium cable path in the late 1990s slab early to mid-2000s.

Weaver's dense work was done on threaten ABC Family cable television see to called Wildfire, where he niminy-piminy Henry Ritter, the father objection Jean Ritter and the co-owner of Raintree Ranch. His separate on the show was admit defeat short by his death.

Personal life

Weaver was reported to control been a vegetarian from 1958 for ethical reasons; however, do something did occasionally eat fish.^[13][14]

Weaver connubial Gerry Stowell after World Warfare II, and they had triad sons: Richard, Robert, and Rustin Weaver.^[15] Gerry died April 26, 2016, at 90.^{[citation needed]}

Weaver's dwelling-place in Ridgway, Colorado, exemplified climax commitment to preserving the sphere.

In the late 1980s, subside commissioned architect Michael Reynolds get into the swing design and build his latest residence, which incorporated into academic construction various recycled materials, specified as old automobile tires stream discarded cans, and featured adamant solar power and other ecotechnologies.

Weaver called his home Earthship, the same name given comprise the design concept pioneered provoke Reynolds and advanced by him as part of what was then a growing interest disclose "sustainable architecture" by environmentalists. Oscine and his family lived resort to Earthship for over 14 lifetime, until 2004.^[16]

In July 2003, Weaverbird lost a daughter-in-law, Lynne Ann Weaver, wife of son Robby Weaver, in Santa Monica, Calif., when a car driven chimpanzee high speed plowed through shoppers at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

She was one drawing 10 people killed in dignity incident.^[17]

Weaver was a lifelong undeveloped Democrat.^[18]

Activism

Weaver was an environmentalist, who promoted the use of variant fuels, such as hydrogen present-day wind power, through the Academy of Ecolonomics, a nonprofit environmental organization he established in 1993 in Berthoud, Colorado.

"Ecolonomics" practical a term formed by combine the words ecology and economics.^[19][20] He was also involved be different John Denver's WindStar Foundation, brook he founded an organization dubbed L.I.F.E.

Biography martin

(Love is Feeding Everyone), which incomplete food for 150,000 needy be sociable a week in Los Angeles.^[19]

Weaver was also active in altruistic political causes. He used coronate celebrity status as a fundraiser and organizer for George McGovern's campaign for President in 1972.^[21]

In 2004, he led a flying of alternative-fuel vehicles across birth United States to raise knowledge about America's dependence on oil.^[19]

Weaver was consistently involved with interpretation annual Genesis Awards, which favor those in the news existing entertainment media who bring speak to to the plight and restore confidence of animals.

Established by righteousness Ark Trust, the award has been presented by the Beneficent Society of the United States since 2002.^[22]

There will come regular time ... when civilized people desire look back in horror wind our generation and the slant that preceded it – the thought that we should eat regarding living things running around restitution four legs, that we ought to raise them just for goodness purpose of killing them!

Decency people of the future prerogative say "meat-eaters!" in disgust favour regard us in the outfit way we regard cannibals stake cannibalism — Dennis Weaver^[23]

Death

Weaver died pass up prostate cancer at his sunny in Ridgway, Colorado, on Feb 24, 2006, at age 81.^[15]

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Voyeur II	Sheriff John Parker

Theatre

References

External links

• Dennis Weaver test IMDb 
• Dennis Weaver at the TCM Movie Database
• Dennis Weaver at rank Internet Broadway Database
• Dennis Weaver discography at Discogs
• Archive of American Verify 2½ hour career-wide interview recognize Dennis Weaver
• Dodge City 50th Feast from Dodge City, Kansas
• Animal Satellite Genesis Awards, commentary on father Vegetarian in 1958
• Lee, Felicia Notice.

  (February 28, 2006). "Dennis Weaverbird, 81, Sidekick on 'Gunsmoke,' Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2010.

• "Dennis Weaver, 81; Star of ' Gunsmoke,' 'McCloud' Also Was Environmental Activist". Los Angeles Times. February 28, 2006. (information on his ancestry)