James Arness: James Arness. Actor: Gunsmoke. American leading man famed as the star of one of the longest-running shows in U.S. television history, Gunsmoke (1955). Born of Norwegian heritage (the family name, Aurness, had formerly been Aursness) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Rolf and Ruth Duesler Aurness. His father was a traveling salesman of medical supplies and his mother later became a newspaper columnist. James attended West High School in Minneapolis. Although he...
Known For: Gunsmoke (Matt DillonMatt), Them! (Robert Graham), The Thing from Another World ('The Thing'), The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (Jim Bowie)