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Actor James Arness didn’t immediately adapt to the sensational success of Gunsmoke. Many actors coveted the role of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, and CBS knew that the show’s success largely relied on the casting decision. Arness ultimately scored the role, but he was so anxious over the pressure that he got an acting coach to help him prepare.

‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness started with small roles

'Gunsmoke' James Arness as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon in front of Dodge City buildings in a black-and-white picture, wearing a Western costume
James Arness as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon | CBS via Getty Images

Before Gunsmoke came along, Arness saw a future for himself in motion pictures. Therefore, he decided to chase his Hollywood dreams to the end. The actor landed some roles in films, including 1947’s The Farmer’s Daughter and 1951’s The Thing from Another World, although he was having some difficulty breaking into the scene as a leading man.

Arness worked under contract for legendary Western movie star John Wayne, and the pair became close friends. He let Arness out of the contract to pursue other opportunities, namely accepting the role of Matt on Gunsmoke. However, it took some convincing, as the actor thought taking on this television role would ruin his chances at working in feature films. Nevertheless, it all worked out just fine.

James Arness got an acting coach to prepare himself for playing Matt Dillon

In a 2006 interview with Signal Multimedia Editor Leon Worden, Arness spoke about what led up to playing Matt on Gunsmoke. The interviewer asked about the differences between the character and the real man behind the marshal image, which Arness had some difficulty answering.

“That’s a question you would have to ask somebody else,” Arness replied. “I don’t know. I certainly felt comfortable after I had been in the role a while.” However, that comfort didn’t come naturally.

Arness continued: “Up to that point, I had been what you jokingly call a ‘two-page’ actor. I would have a scene here or a little scene there. But suddenly, with Gunsmoke, I had to do 15 pages every day, and all the dialogue and do the whole thing. I was in way over my head. I was very concerned about it, and it was very hard, the first couple of years, to get really into the character.”

The actor admitted that he sought help from an acting coach to help with some of his anxieties. Fortunately, he was able to settle into the character quite nicely and capture him in a way that was singular and unique to him.

“I did go and get some coaching, which helped me a lot,” Arness said. “Once I got into that, from there on, it just seemed it was ‘there.'”

‘Gunsmoke’ stuck around for 20 seasons

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Arness found a monumental amount of success playing Matt on Gunsmoke. The show had a built-in audience coming from a radio show that first debuted in 1952. Meanwhile, the television adaptation didn’t premiere until 1955. Nevertheless, it had the opportunity to build its audience over time.

Gunsmoke stuck around for an incredible 20 seasons, ultimately meeting its end in 1975. There was a point in time when it was the highest-rated show on television when it came to viewership. As a result, Arness became the network’s most valuable asset.

CBS took the cast and crew by surprise when they canceled Gunsmoke out of nowhere. However, it wouldn’t be the end of Dodge City. Arness returned for five made-for-TV movies, which started with 1987’s Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge. They continued to release them until the ratings started to slip.

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