"Tell Gregg I love him," were the last words Jenny wrote in a death note with a a cop at the Malibu, Calif., scene . His father, Rolf Aurness, was a businessman, while his mother, Ruth, was a journalist. But they didnt accept their relationship in public. Arness died on June 3, 2011, at age 88 from natural causes. He had a son, Rolf, and daughter, Jenny, with Chapman. She was 56 years old at the time of her death. Kim Kardashian Net Worth: Which Company Does Kim K Owns? Ethnicity White ProfessionActor Nationality American Active Year1947-1994 Eye colour Hazel Hair colour Brown BuildAverage SpouseVirginia Chapman (m. 1948; div. Janet Surtees with her late husband, James. Then, what happened? Additionally, the only source of his earning was his acting career. His autobiography titledJames Arness: An Autobiographywas released in September of 2001. James Arness was married twice. His fans were certainly devasted by this tragic news. When he was acting in a theatre in Los Angeles, a Hollywood agent spotted him and linked him toDore Schary, who gave him a few roles in 1947. And his mothers name is Ruth Duesler who was from Germany and was a journalist by the profession. In my case, pictures like that simply want to take advantage of the Matt Dillon reputation, which is exactly what I dont want. Through their marital relationship, the couple had four children Rolf Arness, Craig Arness, Jim Arness, and Jenny Lee Arness. At the time of his death, James was married to his second wife, Janet Surtees; the couple married in 1978. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. id: "beb5f82f-dce3-49e6-a836-cf24eb78a6f6", var params = | Source: Getty Images. Despite having a dream to be a pilot as a naval fighter, Arnesss dream came to the end because of his eyesight problem. In addition, he was married to his wife,Daphne, and had two children, Holly and Brian. James Arness has been bestowed many honors for . The family name was entitled to the title Aursnes because his father migrated from Norway in 1887. Then, after three years, his younger brother Peter was born. He was 88. Janet remarked, After we were through, what had truly struck me about Jim was he stood up and he picked up all the trash that had been left on the ground by people who had camped there before and he put it in his saddlebag. He tidied up the entire area, and I thought, Now, thats a cool man. During the 20th and final season of GUNSMOKE (1955-1975), . Besides his wife, survivors include a son from his first marriage, Rolf Aurness, who was the world surfing champion in 1970; a stepson, Jim Surtees; and. James Arness James Arness, the 6-foot-6 actor who towered over the television landscape for two decades as righteous Dodge City lawman Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," died Friday. Furthermore, James' brother, a well-known Misson: Impossible actor Peter Graves died of a heart attack on 14th March 2010. His real issue though was his height. Arness was married to Virginia Chapman in 1948. Both his letter and his love story prove that James Arness was not just a gritty actor. He graduated high school in June 1942, despite being a poor student and skipping classes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Actor James Arness (right) with his brother, actor Peter Graves.| Source: Getty Images. He served in the Battle of Anzio during World War II. Jenny and Chapman died of drug overdoses in 1975 and 1977, respectively. A year later, he married his first wife,Virginia Chapman. The two later got divorced in 1960 after having two children; Rolf and Jenny. He is best remembered for his role of 'Marshal Matt Dillon' in the long-running television Western Gunsmoke (1955 to 1975). He also played the title character in The Thing From Another World and starred in Them! James Arness' second marriage was to a woman called Janet Surtees. How The Actor Died. They were last married in 1978 to Janet Surtees. Luckily, Janet didnt hold a grudge and the two went on a second date. At the time of his death, he had an estimated net worth of $8 million US dollars. Janet worked there for seven years and grew close with the couple. But, his role as Zeb Macahan in "How The West Was Won" sealed him as a television icon in the United States and Europe. And here comes this huge man through the door, I was like, oh my gosh. James Arness was married twice in his life. Your health is important to us. He served in the Battle of Anzio during World War II. Patty Duke Cause Of Death? After years of working together, Janet and the owner became friends. I was like, Oh my gosh, he is a big guy,' said Janet. [21] He adopted her son. Moreover, his ethnicity is Mixed(German and Norwegian). But she died of a drug overdose in 1975. He was also listed as the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 at 1751 Vine Street. James Arness net worth: James Arness was an American actor who had a net worth of $8 million. It was reported James passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. There was a high rumor about a long-term relationship between James Arness and actress, Thordis Brandt, but they never get married. One night, her friend invited Janet over for dinner to meet James Arness. 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 in the 1990s. The big thing with the show was that we had a lot of really fine actors, and more than that, we had started out with great writing., The two gentlemen who originated the show you know, it was on the radio for two or three years before they brought it to television John Meston was the man who conceived the idea of the whole thing. Arness had served as a rifleman in the 3rd range in the United States during the Infantry Division. Portrait of James Arness (portrays Marshal Matt Dillon). They also shared an adopted a son who Virginia Chapman had from another marriage. James had a rich background as he was of Norwegian, German, and English descent. But Janet refused. But Janet was hesitant at first. 1960) Janet Surtees (m. 1978). Gunsmoke actor James Arness was frequently asked why characters Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty never got married. Born James King Aurness, his father was a traveling salesman, his mother was a newspaper columnist. Although Arness died almost a decade ago, his work continues to be held in high regard by fans who grew up watching him keep the peace in Dodge City. Arness entered Beloit College in Wisconsin after his service discharge. On the other hand, the movies, he had appeared on as well in the entertainment industry. CBS spokesman Chris Ender says former "Gunsmoke" star James Arness died Friday, June 3, 2011 of natural causes. It was a wonderful thing. But fate stepped in. Arness portrayed the iconic role of US Marshall Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke. Although he could not serve as a pilot, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1943. However, James was a friendly giant. "I had a wonderful life and was blessed with (so) many loving people and great friends.". He now lives a private lifein Los Angeles and regularly volunteers at a Santa Monica mental health clinic. GUNSMOKE's James Arness was born on May 26, 1923. Theyre interesting to watch all these years later., I love to watch the old shows. Later, James had started his entertainment career at Minneapolis station WLOL in 1945 as a radio announcer. Arness' 20-year prime-time run as the marshal was tied only in recent times, by Kelsey Grammer's 20 years as Frasier Crane from 1984 to 2004 on "Cheers" and then on "Frasier." . She would later admit that she lost him to his work, describing him as a comet that left her lonely on earth. He had warned her he would be away for a few weeks but that he would reach out upon his return. Why dont you come over and meet him? Their longest marriage was 33 years to Janet Surtees. He is a big guy, and He was very polite," sherecallsof meeting James. Moreover, he has six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Andrew Dorff Cause of Death: What Happened to Andrew Dorff? James flew Janet back later that day. At present, Arness's only surviving child is his sonRolf, whobecame a world surfing champion in 1970. For the whole 20 years the series was on the air from 1955 until 1975, he appeared in an impressive 605 of 635 episodes, according to IMBD . Arness was born to businessman Rolf Cirkler Aurness and writer Ruth Duesler on May 26, 1923, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. James starred alongside huge TV legends likeEva Marie Saint,Fionnula Flanagan,Bruce Boxleitner, andRichard Kiley. Then he didnt call for three months. He had three children over the course of his lifetime - Craig, Rolf, and Jenny. He appeared in different several films and on television. This included the deaths of his daughter and ex-wife merely two years apart. These include "Wyoming Mail," "Two Lost Worlds," "The People Against O'Hara," "Iron Man,"The Lone Hand," and "Island in the Sky," among many others. James Arness was one of the most prominent television personalities in the 1950s up until the 1990s in the United States. (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.) Oh my God, I agree with him! 'https' : 'http'; Janet arrived before Jim and nervously waited for him to arrive. World War II soldier turned actor James Arness had trouble finding meaty roles due to his height; his greatest was as the title monster in The Thing from Another World before the show premiered (1951). 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. The pair divorced in 1963, leaving him with legal custody of their children.. { Years later, after being a veteran at the top of his prime, James acted on his kept passion acting. Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. His role as marshall Matt Dillon made him an iconic hero to millions all over the world. Besides, James had married twice in his life. Your email address will not be published. ', Your email address will not be published. I had a wonderful life and was blessed with so many loving people and great friends. In addition, the actor featured in 12 TV shows, 34 movies, as well as five Gunsmoke made-for-TV movies. (From left) James Arness with Rolf (age 5), Virginia with daughter Jenny Lee (age 8) and Craig (age 10) on the floor. But Janet was hesitant at first. And I thought, Eew, an actor I dont know,' said Janet laughing. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is a member of the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Let's have a look at the details of his death, his multiple married life, his numerous children, as well as the loved ones he lost. The actor added, he had the privilege of working with numerous great actors over the years. Also get to know more about Fatima Bhutto,Sheridan Smith, and Lara Pulver. Janets father and brother were both pilots. So, just like her husband, Janet continuously finds ways to give back. However, James and Janet never had any children together. In 1960, he had a star placed in honor of him at 1751 Vine Street on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Growing up, their mother instilled a love for the arts, Peter pursued it immediately, but James, it took him a lot longer before realizing it was his destiny. James Arness enjoyed a wonderful professional career but the same can't be said of his personal life where he prematurely lost so many people he loved before he inevitably passed away himself. Arness was known to be a shy and sensitive man. He first shared wedding vows with Virginia Chapman in 1948. We had great stories, great writing, and we had fine casting and directors. From 1976 to 1979, Arness played on television in the role of Zeb Macahan in the series How the West Was Won. So, basically, the most romantic date ever. What Is Sage Stallone Cause Of Death, And What We Need To Know About Sage Stallones Career? | Source: Getty Images. His father was a traveling salesman of medical supplies and his mother . 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