Turning to Art
Buck Taylor is most well-known for his eight-year stint as Newly O’Brien. But the actor is also a multi-talented man. Before he even went into acting, Taylor pursued a path as an Olympic gymnast.
At the same time, he was studying art at the University of Southern California. Then, he landed his breakthrough role and his entire life changed. Plus, the show wouldn’t be quite the same without him.
Gunsmoke Killed Gilligan’s Island
In 1967, "Gunsmoke" was nearly canceled, and its spot was given to someone else. But when President Lyndon B. Johnson reportedly told CBS he was a fan, they had to reevaluate. Around this time, "Gilligan’s Island" was enjoying its prime-time slot on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Unfortunately for fans of that show, "Gunsmoke" needed somewhere else to go – and just like that, it replaced Gilligan and his crew.
Luckily, it worked like a charm, and the show's ratings skyrocketed. It became the 4th most watched show in the U.S.
Committed to the Role
If you have a job for two decades, you’re bound to miss at least a few workdays over the years. Things happen. People get sick, there are family emergencies, weather issues, etc. But James Arness was wholly committed to his role as Matt Dillon. In 20 years of filming, he was the only actor to appear in each and every episode of the show.
It is possible that, because he was the star of the show, producers and the rest of the cast worked around his sick days. But, it’s also possible that he simply pushed through and showed up no matter what the circumstances were.
Buck Taylor After "Gunsmoke"
Although Taylor has continued to act straight into the 2000s, appearing in 2004’s "Tombstone", he’s shifted his focus back to art.
The actor can still be seen on film and TV from time to time, but he spends most of his days working on his paintings, which he sells on his website, bucktaylor.com. His work can also be seen displayed in several places throughout Texas.
(Not) Letting Go
After you’ve become so invested in playing a character over the span of several decades, it can’t be easy to just walk away from it. After all, James Arness was Matt Dillon for 20 years. So when the time came to film the follow-up films, of course, he was all in. He wasn’t the only one of the original cast members who was excited about the reunions, either.
Buck Taylor and Amanda Blake both appeared with Arness in the made-for-television film, '"Gunsmoke": Return to Dodge', alongside Arness.