Actor James Arness played U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for many years. However, he once admitted that it took some time for him to settle into the role, seeking out an acting coach to get over his anxiety. Arness still managed to make the role his own, putting a spin on the character that delighted Western television fans. Arness had a simple way of transforming into Matt on the set.
‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness evolved Matt Dillon
Gunsmoke originally started as a radio show that started in 1952 and ran until 1961. The adult Western made its way to television in 1955, employing a different set of actors to fit the new medium. Arness, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russell, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, and Dennis Weaver as Chester Goode were the original cast members to kick it off.
Arness evolved Matt over the course of 20 seasons, airing until 1975. The radio iteration of the character was a bit darker than the television adaptation, as he was quicker to anger and resorted to violence a bit quicker. Meanwhile, Arness played the marshal with a form of sensitivity, who turned to lethal force when necessary. Even so, he communicated a sense of internal conflict rather well through his performance.
James Arness changed from tennis shoes to cowboy boots to transform into Matt Dillon
Actor Amy Stoch played Matt’s daughter, Beth, across the five made-for-TV Gunsmoke movies. Arness returned to the role to carry on the story after its sudden cancelation. Stoch appeared on the TV Confidential podcast to talk about her experience working with Arness while he played Matt. She had nothing but positive comments about the legendary actor, but it was his transformation into the character that really caught her attention.
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“The other thing about Jim, he was a World War II veteran, and from what I understand … was in a lot of pain the rest of his life,” Stoch said. “The first time I met him, he had the Dillon hat on, the coat, and a pair of tennis shoes. He’s sitting in his bed chair, and he’s got his tennis shoes on, and they tell him, ‘We’re ready for you on set,’ and they take the tennis shoes off, and they put the cowboy boots on.”
Stoch continued: “He walks off to his horse, and that’s all it took for him to go from Jim Arness to Matt Dillon. Walked to his horse, and he was the character, and we were right in the scene with him, and he was just so giving as an actor and really cool.”
Amy Stoch fondly remembered meeting James Arness
Stoch told TV Confidential about her favorite memory of interacting with Arness while he starred as Matt. She had the opportunity to bring her parents to the set, making it an especially special memory for the whole family.
“This was the best memory, my parents used to come a lot on location and watch the shoot,” Stoch said. “And when I got to introduce my dad to Jim Arness, the look on my dad’s face was priceless. He was such a huge fan of Jim’s, and finally meeting a television idol of his, it was really cute.”
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