Tombstone is a Western that is often at the forefront of viewers’ minds, and rightfully so. Whether you are forever impressed by the powerful nature of Val Kilmer’s performance as Doc Holliday or you feel indebted to Kurt Russell for seeing the production through to the end, this 1993 epic is one of the greats for a reason. With dialogue that simply rolls off the tongue and action that is as electric as a strike of lightning, you may not think that Tombstone can get any better. Then, of course, you probably didn’t know that the famed Wyatt Earp production actually included one of the descendants of the infamous Earp brothers, a man by the name of Glen Wyatt Earp, who played the villainous Billy Claiborne throughout the picture.
‘Tombstone’ Features Glen Wyatt Earp as One of the Cowboys
That’s right, one of Wyatt Earp’s own descendants (well, his fifth cousin, in fact) showed up as the outlaw Billy Claiborne in the film. While Claiborne doesn’t get a real close-up or much intentional screentime, the character lingers in the background in most of the Cowboys’ scenes, and is even present briefly in the infamous “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” (you can see him clad in white in the above image). Though the film credits this actor as Wyatt Earp III (coined by Kurt Russell himself), his real name is Glen Wyatt Earp. “Actually, there has been greater skepticism of me as an actor because of my name,” Earp told the Los Angeles Times. “Casting directors would call up my agent and say: ‘Is this guy for real?'”
According to Earp in the comment section of a 2023 Facebook post regarding the film’s 30th anniversary, he descended from Joshua Earp, a common ancestor to the lawman who dates back to the time of the American Revolutionary War, per Geneology Magazine. Unsurprisingly, the Tombstone producers were eager to get a real-life Earp’s point of view on the iconic Kevin Jarre-penned script. This was an edge that Kevin Costner’s alternative Wyatt Earp film didn’t have. Considering that Glen Wyatt Earp had been investigating his family’s history for quite some time, he was happy to give his input — and, ultimately, his approval. “He does look like Wyatt Earp from certain angles,” producer James Jacks told the LA Times. “It also helped the actors to be able to talk with him since, obviously, he had been researching this story for most of his life.”
Additionally, the outlet reported that director George P. Cosmatos ultimately opted to combine a few historical figures for the sake of the film’s runtime. Thus, the Billy Claiborne character we see in the film, though a real historical figure on his own, was an amalgamation of a few different Cowboys. This allowed the real-life Earp some extra lines, though his screentime was far more limited by the time the film was released. “The stagecoach robbery where I killed [Billy Zane’s] Mr. Fabian and the gunfight where I was killed by [Jason Priestley’s] Billy Breckinridge … and other scenes wound up on the cutting room floor,” Earp revealed on the aforementioned Facebook post. “You’ll find me with the Cowboys in 20+ shots throughout the film. Shooting that film as Billy Claiborne was an absolute honor!”
Glen Wyatt Earp Praised Kurt Russell’s Performance as His Ancestor
But how did the credited “Wyatt Earp III” feel about Kurt Russell’s performance as Wyatt Earp? Well, the same way the rest of us do. Earp offered some high praise to Russell’s portrayal of his relative. “I think he captures the overall essence of the individual,” he explained. “Wyatt Earp was a man who had the courage of his convictions, but he was also torn and had demons, just like everyone else. He was a man to be reckoned with.” Tombstone is just one of those movies that is so rewatchable due to how well-made it is and the impressive nature of the entire cast, from the smallest parts like Billy Claiborne to the Earp brothers themselves. While none of the real-life Earps depicted in the film had any sons of their own, their legacy lives on through Glen Wyatt Earp, who carries the name proudly into the 21st century.