As a series that ran from 1955-1975, there are sadly only a few of the Gunsmoke cast still alive, but these actors have continued with long and notable careers, or have gracefully exited the acting world to pursue personal interests. Gunsmoke was originally a radio series of the same name that broadcast from 1952 to 1961 and in 1955, Gunsmoke became a television show that lasted for 20 years. The series is centered on Dodge City, Kansas in the 1870s as the settlement of the American West is getting underway.
Often ranked as one of the best Western TV shows of all time, Gunsmoke is a grittier depiction of life in the American West than the serials that came before it or even after. The show stars U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness)but features an ensemble cast of characters including dozens of guest stars who appeared in shorter arcs throughout the series. Screen legends like Burt Reynolds, Bette Davis, and John Wayne all appeared in Gunsmoke. Though many of the cast members have since passed away, there are a handful still living and even working in the industry.
Roger Ewing
As Thaddeus Greenwood And Ben Lukens
Roger Ewing starred in seasons 10 and 11 of Gunsmoke in multiple roles, but he’s best known as Clayton Thaddeus “Thad” Greenwood, a deputy U.S. Marshall from Oklahoma, who came to Dodge City pursuing men who may have had a hand in his father’s death. Thad first appears in season 11, episode 3, “Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood”, where the young deputy arrives in Kansas only to learn from Matt Dillon that the warrant for the men he’s pursuing bears no weight in another state. Thad decides to hang around Dodge City, hoping to catch the gang committing some other illegal activities.
Thad is in a long line of Matt Dillon sidekicks and serves the Kansas Marshall well until he was unceremoniously written off the show at the start of season 13. Gunsmoke was nearly canceled after season 12, and when it returned for season 13, Ewing was no longer on the cast list. Notably, Ewing actually appeared on Gunsmoke a year before he arrived as Thad. In season 10, episode 21, “Song for Dying”, Ewing plays Ben Lukens in a one-episode arc as one of the Lukens family clan members.
Thad Greenwood in Gunsmoke was the biggest role of Ewing’s career, having only appeared in small roles in the TV shows Bewitched as Marvin Grogan and The Bing Crosby Show as Eddie Fox in his earlier years. Ewing went on to appear in an episode of the 1970 show Death Valley Days as Frank Harris and the 1972 film Play It as It Lays as Nelson, which would be his final role before he retired from acting (via The Gunsmoke Chronicles). Since that time, Ewing shifted his career to focus on his photography.
Buck Taylor
As Newly O’Brien
Newly O’Brien, played by Buck Taylor, first appears in Gunsmoke in season 13, episode 13, “Vengeance (Part 1)”, as a recurring character. Taylor was elevated to the main cast in season 14 and remained a significant character up until Gunsmoke ended in season 20. In the 1987 TV movie and revival, Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge, Newly plays an even more outsized role, taking over Matt Dillon’s job as Marshall of Dodge City. O’Brien is one of Matt Dillon’s most accomplished and intelligent sidekicks and gives the Marshall a run for his money in terms of catching bad guys.
O’Brien is a gunsmith and a doctor-in-training. He offers all kinds of help to Matt Dillon and is a critical part of keeping Dodge City safe. Taylor has had a long career in Westerns, appearing in many notable films and television shows in the genre. In movies, Taylor plays “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson in Tombstone, Wes Claibourne in Cowboys & Aliens, and Robert Edward Gattlin in The Legend of the Lone Ranger. His best-known movie outside Westerns is in The Mist as Ambrose Cornell, who gets killed by spider creatures in the pharmacy.
On television, most fans will recognize Taylor as Emmett Walsh on Yellowstone, but he also has smaller performances in other series. Taylor plays George Neville in the Rough Riders miniseries, John “Brad” Bradford in The Monroes, and “Colorado” Smith in the miniseries The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory.
Kim Darby
As Carrie Neely And Angel
Kim Darby appears as two different characters in Gunsmoke. The first, Carrie Neely, the daughter of a fugitive named Dal Neely (Stephen McNally), appears in a brief scene in season 12, episode 23, “The Lure”. Darby then reappears in season 13, episode 4, “Vengeance (Part 1)”, and episode 5, “Vengeance (Part 2)”, as a young girl named Angel. Her performances in Gunsmoke may have been brief, but Darby has had a long career in film and television in a variety of genres and has worked well into her 60s.
Darby’s notable film performances come in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers as Debra Strode, Better Off Dead as Jenny Meyer, Teen Wolf Too as Professor Brooks, and the 1969 True Grit as Mattie Ross, the young girl seeking vengeance for her father. On TV, Darby has played numerous guest characters, including Kathy Lee Tencate in The X-Files, Katherine in Becker, Doris Garrett in The Facts of Life, Trudy Loughlin in Bonanza, Sandy True in The Man from U.N.C.L.E, and many more.
William Shatner
As Fred Bateman
William Shatner is up there with some of the most famous actors to ever appear in Gunsmoke, and that’s saying a lot. He only appears in a single episode, as Fred Bateman in season 12, episode 12, “Quaker Girl”. Bateman is a killer on the run and Thad Greenwood chases him to a Quaker Town.
As Bateman, Shatner gets to flex his villainous chops, something he would not often do in his long and vaunted career. Of course, Shatner is best known for playing Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series, but audiences of all generations will know him from a variety of roles.
Shatner’s most notable film roles include Alexey Karamazov in The Brothers Karamazov (1958), Captain Harrison Byers in Judgment at Nuremberg, and William J. Baxter in Big Bad Mama. The latter half of his career featured his performances as Captain Kirk in the Star Trek movies as well as a memorable cameo in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story as the Dodgeball Chancellor and a supporting role in the Miss Congeniality franchise as Stan Fields.
On television, Shatner starred in T.J. Hooker as the eponymous Sergeant and Boston Legal and The Practice as Denny Crane, a role which earned him five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and one win in 2005, as well as an Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series win at the Emmys, and two Best Supporting Actor – Television nominations at the Golden Globes, one of which he won.
Shatner also had a memorable guest appearance on 3rd Rock from the Sun as The Big Giant Head, which earned Shatner another Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Known for his deep and powerful voice, Shatner has loaned his talents to many creating spoken word albums where he performs dramatic recitations of popular songs. He earned a Grammy nomination for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording for his album Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder.
Shatner may very well be one of the most significant actors to come out of Gunsmoke, with a career that does not look to be letting up anytime soon.