JOHN WAYNE
FORMER 'Gunsmoke' star James Arness, who won the TV role that John Wayne declined, has died at age 88, CBS spokesman Chris Ender said.
Mr Ender had no further details, but Arness's official website said the actor died yesterday of natural causes.
Arness played US Marshal Matt Dillon in the Western, which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1975 and was the longest-running dramatic series in network history until tied by NBC's Law & Order.
The Minnesota native was 32 when friend John Wayne declined the lead role in Gunsmoke and recommended Arness instead.
Mr Arness said he left home at age 18, hopping freight trains and ships. He was wounded in World War II, then went to Hollywood and had parts in more than 20 films before going to Gunsmoke.
He was the brother of Peter Graves, the star of the TV series Mission Impossible. Graves died last year.
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