Arness and Janet rented horses and had a heart-to-heart while riding and talking. Keeping this in mind, the American actor James Arness build up his profession in acting, despite having a dream to be a naval fighter pilot. Married on February 12, 1948; divorced in 1960; attempted suicide twice. That didn't happen until after three months, and she had been reluctant to call him because, as she told Alden's wife, he probably had a lot of ladies calling him. Since this was so important to Arness, he decided to leave a note for his longstanding Gunsmoke followers to read after his passing, which no doubt deepened their already profound admiration for him. Arness was born to businessman Rolf Cirkler Aurness and writer Ruth Duesler on May 26, 1923, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a young child, most of his life, James usually found it hard in his . (From left) James Arness with Rolf (age 5), Virginia with daughter Jenny Lee (age 8) and Craig (age 10) on the floor. The American actor, James Arness had maintained a net worth of $8 Million till he was alive. Image date July 23, 1955.| Source: Getty Images. But she died of a drug overdose in 1975. Eventually, Virginia fleed to San Bernardino, California, vanishing immediately after the divorce. However, they didn't get married or have children from their relationship. Previously, Arness had tied the knot with his long-term girlfriend, Virginia Chapman in 1948. Celebritys Net worth, Biography, Sports, Health, Technology, & Entertainment. They also adopted her son Craig (1946-December 14, 2004). Their longest marriage was 33 years to Janet Surtees. When the Gunsmoke offer came in, he said, I wouldnt be able to do it, but I have a young man here under contract who I think would maybe fit the bill. So he very graciously offered to introduce the first episode. })(document); Virginia Chapman (m. 1948; div. James Arness, a great Sequoia tree in the forest of TV Western heroes, has died; he was 88. He was interned at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Additionally, the only source of his earning was his acting career. where it was shown numerous times in the decades that followed. Mini Bio (1) American leading man famed as the star of one of the longest-running shows in U.S. television history, Gunsmoke (1955). Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other James Arness fans! James Arness passed away on June 3, 2011, just a week after his 88th birthday. While Arnesss height made it hard for him to be a pilot, it would later come in handy during his days as a leading man in Hollywood. Arness was sent to General Hospital at Clinton Iowa during the time by the U.S. Army because of his short height where he was the 1st one offered to have a landing craft for the determination of the complexity of the water. Sierra McClain. After Gunsmoke ended in 1975, Arness played Zeb Macahan in How The West Was Won from 1977 to 1979. Some of the stars appearing in Gunsmoke are - Burt Reynolds, Ken Curtis, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Dennis Weaver, and James Arness. He had a son, Rolf, and daughter, Jenny, with Chapman. CBS spokesman Chris Ender says former "Gunsmoke" star James Arness died Friday, June 3, 2011 of natural causes. They went on to have two more children, whom they named Jenny and Rolf but were divorced by 1963. He first shared wedding vows with Virginia Chapman in 1948. Arness' daughter Jenny committed suicide on 12th May 1975 by drug overdose. James was medically discharged from the army because of his injury, which he got from a German machine gun. Then, what happened? James Arness has been bestowed many honors for . James Arness married his second wife Janet Surtees in 1978 and remained together till his death. Arness escorted her somewhere alone for lunch, clearly knowing exactly where he was heading. She was 56 years old at the time of her death. 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In 1948, a few years before the premiere of Gunsmoke on television, Arness married his first wife, Virginia Chapman. James Arness has been divorced once, in 1960. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. | Source: Getty Images. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that information you receive from this page is correct. You are and always have been truly appreciated.. In the early 1960s, John Wayne took an interest in Arness and was instrumental in getting him cast in Gunsmoke, the show that would ultimately define his career for the next two decades. Mini Bio (1) American leading man famed as the star of one of the longest-running shows in U.S. television history, Gunsmoke (1955). The next day he called her and asked if she wanted to go to Mammoth Lakes, and she said yes. When Graves decided to pursue acting professionally, he adopted the surname 'Graves' to honor his mother's family. . As a result, he played a role in getting Arness to accept the role of Matt on Gunsmoke, the show that would prove to be the pinnacle of his career. Yes, he was tall, handsome, polite, and a famous actor, but he dropped the ball after a super romantic date with his future wife, Janet Surtees. Like his daughter, Arness's first wife, Chapman, died of a drug overdose in 1977, two years after the couple's daughter passed away. If Gunsmoke icon James Arness was a Tinder date, he would be the worst. And it was great. Janet was working for a clothing store owned by the wife of Jims make-up artist. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Gunsmoke: James Arness Wife Opens Up About Marriage to Western Icon in 2017 Interview, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZlby3ryXCE, GUNSMOKE I married James Arness with Janet Arness A WORD ON WESTERNS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZlby3ryXCE). { Wayne was still making box office hits at the time anyway, so it would have been a shocker for him to take a lead part in the then-nascent world of television. Many of you met her at Dodge City so you understand what a special person she is.. A year later, he married his first wife,Virginia Chapman. She grew up with her siblings Rolf Aurness and Craig Aurness who was adopted. Arness married . At first, Janet was skeptical about meeting James, a television star, but since her son was a fan of his, she tried and took that leap of fate. However, they didn't get married or have children from their relationship. And it was the work they did with local Jewish youth that motivated Arness to donate the property in the first place. It aired for 20 seasons and made him and other actors in it world-famous. After Gunsmoke, Arness starred in How the West Was Won. (AP) James Arness, the 6-foot-6 actor who towered over the television . James had a stint in performing onstage when he was young, but later on, he expressed little interest in pursuing a career out of it and heeded the call of the seas instead. Jim Arness (1971), (Bettmann/contributor/getty images), James Arness, Janet (1995), (Getty Images/Staff), James Arness, Janet (2001), (David Keeler/Getty Images). At the time of his death, James was married to his second wife, Janet Surtees; the couple married in 1978. And here comes this huge man through the door. Arness later found love inThordis Brand. He also became the adoptive father to Virginia's son Craig. James Arness was divorced from Furthermore, Gunsmoke earned him three nominations for the Primetime Emmys. When Arnesss entertainment career took off, he struggled to maintain a healthy balance between work and family life. Along with Rolf Arness, his stepson Jim Surtees, six grandchildren, and a great-grandchild, she survived him. Previously, Arness worked as a courier for a jewelry wholesaler loading and unloading railway boxcars on Minneapolis Burlington freight yards, and logging in Pierce, Idaho. Extremely private personality, James Arness refused to talk about his life's biggest tragedies. The couple got married in 1979 and they stayed together until Carl Ann died. He tried his hand at a non-Western series with McClains Law, a short-lived 1981-1982 police drama. Both Janet and James Arness were pretty private people. Regarding James Arness personal life, well, the actor has been married twice. James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, eventually became CBS's most important actor overall. However, James was a friendly giant. Arness might be known for Gunsmoke, but that was hardly the only thing he did. At some point, Alden's wife urged her to join them for dinner since James would also be there. Source; Getty Images Janet still lives in Los Angeles where she lived with James before his passing, according to Celeb Suburb. It was reported James passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. GUNSMOKE's James Arness was born on May 26, 1923. Previously, Arness had tied the knot with his long-term girlfriend, Virginia Chapman in 1948. Arness was married to Virginia Chapman in 1948. He was 88. Primetime Emmy . 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 CBS television series Gunsmoke.Arness 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 . Image date May 4, 1957.| Source: Getty Images. They were last married in 1978 to Janet Surtees. James Arness was one of the most prominent television personalities in the 1950s up until the 1990s in the United States. By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. But they didnt accept their relationship in public. Arness and Surtees were married from 1978 to up until his death in 2011. Having been married for 15 years, they finally parted ways in 1963. Located on 1,400 acres of land in Simi Valley, California, the Gunsmoke star's former ranch is owned by the Brandeis-Bardin Institute. But she died of a drug overdose in 1975. They had tied the knot in 1948. Heres what we do know. Arness was a respected soldier of World War II. Arness adopted Chapmans son Craig, who died in 2004. His former wife Virginia also died of a drug overdose in 1977. Together with her adopted son, Craig, they created a family. (Arness would later say that Matt's only onscreen kiss was in that episode, "Matt's Love Story," but Kitty did in fact kiss him once.) Janet arrived before Jim and nervously waited for him to arrive. Moreover, he has six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Actor James Arness (right) with his brother, actor Peter Graves.| Source: Getty Images. d.getElementById("contentad428986").appendChild(s); Trending :Joanna Gaines || Pat Sajak || Brandi Love || Kamala Harris || Elizabeth Warren ||. 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