ACTOR

James Arness

1923 - 2011

Photo of James Arness

Icon of person James Arness

James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke. He has the distinction of having played the role of Dillon in five decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) and four more made-for-television Gunsmoke films in the 1990s. In Europe, Arness reached cult status for his role as Zeb Macahan in the Western series How the West Was Won. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of James Arness has received more than 8,677,821 page views. His biography is available in 26 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 24 in 2019). James Arness is the 3,485th most popular actor (down from 3,324th in 2019), the 5,214th most popular biography from United States (down from 5,153rd in 2019) and the 1,565th most popular American Actor.

Memorability Metrics

  • 8.7M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 50.29

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 26

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 1.72

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 4.38

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among ACTORS

Among actors, James Arness ranks 3,485 out of 13,578. Before him are Mirjana Karanović, Kenneth Mars, Giannina Facio, Marian Seldes, Eva-Maria Hagen, and Sabrina Ferilli. After him are Willeke van Ammelrooy, Kristen Wiig, Anita Page, Brian Krause, Evan Peters, and Irán Eory.

Most Popular Actors in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1923, James Arness ranks 259. Before him are Rentarō Mikuni, Jim Marshall, Charlie Mariano, Somnath Sharma, Harish-Chandra, and Giulio Cabianca. After him are Fats Navarro, Ahti Karjalainen, Juan Burgueño, Rudolf Augstein, Israel Gutman, and Hedy Schlunegger. Among people deceased in 2011, James Arness ranks 224. Before him are Ludo Martens, Ida Fink, George Devol, Jeff Conaway, Héctor Núñez, and Kenneth Mars. After him are Andrzej Lepper, Hidemaro Watanabe, Ricky Bruch, Tore Sjöstrand, Nat Lofthouse, and Karen Khachaturian.

Others Born in 1923

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Others Deceased in 2011

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

In United States

Among people born in United States, James Arness ranks 5,214 out of 20,380. Before him are Ralph Ellison (1914), Joe E. Brown (1891), Kenneth Mars (1935), Marian Seldes (1928), Sterling Morrison (1942), and Jimi Jamison (1951). After him are Eli Lilly (1838), Harold E. Varmus (1939), Stephen A. Douglas (1813), Kristen Wiig (1973), Anita Page (1910), and Bill Nieder (1933).

Others born in United States

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Among ACTORS In United States

Among actors born in United States, James Arness ranks 1,565. Before him are Alan Ruck (1956), Frankie Avalon (1940), Gary Cole (1956), Joe E. Brown (1891), Kenneth Mars (1935), and Marian Seldes (1928). After him are Kristen Wiig (1973), Anita Page (1910), Brian Krause (1969), Evan Peters (1987), Richard Burgi (1958), and Clifton Webb (1889).

American born Actors

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Television and Movie Roles

Them!
FBI Agent Robert Graham
As a result of nuclear testing, gigantic, ferocious mutant ants appear in the American desert southwest, and a father-daughter team of entomologists join forces with the state police officer who first discovers their existence, an FBI agent and, eventually, the US Army to eradicate the menace, before it spreads across the continent — and the world.
Jun 16o 19546.8 / 10
Gunsmoke
Marshal Matt Dillon
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.
6.5 / 10
In a Lonely Place
Young Detective (uncredited)
A screenwriter with a violent temper is a murder suspect until his lovely neighbor clears him. However, she soon starts to have her doubts.
May 17o 19507.578 / 10