5 Things You Never Knew About James Arness, Star of ‘Gunsmoke’

James Arness, who was born on May 26, 1923, will forever be remembered as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, the role he played for two decades on Gunsmoke; he made the tough, rough and tumble lawman of Dodge City feel real. It’s easy to think he was born for the part — but before Gunsmoke first aired in 1955, Arness lived through a handful of experiences that helped him become the perfect Matt Dillon. Today we celebrate James Arness, who lived to be 88 years old; he died on June 3, 2011.

1 His large stature was both a blessing and a curse