James Arness was a well-known actor in the United States. For more than two decades, James Arness was best known as Marshal Matt Dillon on the CBS television series “Gunsmoke.”
Biography, Age, Nationality, Parents
James Arness was born James King Aurness on May 26, 1923. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States of America. As a result, he gained American citizenship and became a Christian. His zodiac sign was also Gemini.
To begin with, he was born to Rolf Cirkler Aurness and Ruth Duesler. His father was a wealthy businessman, while his mother was a well-known journalist. Similarly, he had a younger brother named Peter Graves, who was also an actor.
In Minneapolis, he attended John Burroughs Elementary School, Washburn High School, and West High School. Despite being a mediocre student who missed multiple classes, he graduated from high school in June 1942. In September, Arness enrolled at Beloit College, where he joined the campus choir and the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. As the war in Europe and the Pacific went on, he enlisted in the military in 1943. Arness died of natural causes in his Los Angeles residence on June 3, 2011, at the age of 88.
Height and Weight
After improving his physique proportions, James was a tall and hefty man. He was 6 feet 7 inches tall or 2.01 meters tall and weighed 105 kilograms or 235 pounds. Likewise, his exact physical measurements were 48-36-26 inches (chest-waist-hip). In addition, he had golden-white hair and bright brown eyes.
Career
In March 1943, James was drafted into the United States Army and stationed to Fort Snelling. He arrived on the Anzio Beachhead on January 22, 1944, as a rifleman with the 2nd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. During the Battle of Anzio, he was critically injured in his right leg and was taken to the 91st General Hospital in Clinton, Iowa.
His brother, Peter, paid him a visit when he returned to the United States. After various missions, he was honorably discharged from the Army on January 29, 1945.
Upon his military discharge, Arness began his career as a radio announcer in 1945. Arness hitchhiked to Hollywood specifically to work in the film industry. In “The Farmer’s Daughter,” he played Peter Holstrom, Loretta Young’s (Katie Holstrom) brother.
Despite his Western background, Arness participated in two science fiction films, “The Thing from Another Planet” and “Them!” He was a personal buddy of John Wayne, the actor. He has appeared opposite him in films such as Big Jim McLain, The Sea Chase, Island in the Sky, and Hondo.
He also played Matt Dillon in the long-running television series Gunsmoke. For the job, he had to darken his naturally blond hair. Gunsmoke launched his career and made him a global celebrity. The show was the longest-running primetime drama series in US television history when it ended in 1975.
Net Worth and Salary
James gained enormous riches as a well-known actor in his day. At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated to be $8 million US dollars.
Relationship Status: Single?
In 1948, Arness married Virginia Chapman and adopted her son Craig. Arness and Chapman had a son, Rolf, and a daughter, Jenny Lee Arness, in addition to Craig. Following their divorce in 1963, Arness was granted legal custody of the children.
James Arness began dating Thordis Brandt four years after his divorce from Chapman. They were together for about six years before calling it quits. Arness married Janet Surtees in 1978.
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