The great western movie star legend John Wayne helped make James Arness the remarkable actor he became. However, it all happened because of an unfortunate interview that sealed their fate by deciding to go into business together. Wayne asked Arnes a “key” question that he thought was important, but that quickly made the question gunsmoke Actor uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he answered correctly, as they developed a wonderful working and personal relationship.
James Arness made his debut in the theater
Long before meeting Arnes Wayne, she started her career in the entertainment industry by accident. He tagged along with a friend to a local theatre, where he quickly gained attention. As a result, Arnes gave entertainment a shot, which he was able to turn into a very successful career for himself.
However, Arnes had a difficult time when it came to getting roles in Hollywood. He was 6’7″ tall, which intimidated many leading men. So, he refused to work with him as he felt that it would make him feel bad. Arnes played roles in films such as the thing from another worldBut an interview with Wayne changed his life forever.
John Wayne asks James Arness if he drinks
According to Deseret News, Arnes once met Wayne at a meeting, in which he was a little uncomfortable. After all, he didn’t know the type of person behind that tough cowboy beauty the world couldn’t get enough of. Arnes meets Wayne at his Republic Studios office for the fateful meeting.
“He asked me a few questions about my acting,” Arnes said. “Then he said, ‘The main thing I want to know is, do you drink?’ I didn’t want to say, because I didn’t know him at the time; maybe he was a drinker. ‘Well, I’ve been known to take one sometimes,’ I said. We got his laugh, and he put me on the picture, Big Jim McLean,
Big Jim McLean Follows the title character, played by Wayne and his partner, Mal Baxter (Arnes). They work as investigators for the House Un-American Activities Committee with the goal of finding the leaders of a local community party in Hawaii. However, Jim and Mal are in over their heads, as they become the targets of a communist boss named Sturk (Alan Napier).
John Wayne convinced them to do ‘Gunsmoke’
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There have long been rumors that gunsmoke The decision-makers wanted Wayne to play US Marshal Matt Dillon. That rumor was debunked years ago, but what is true is that the western movie star brought the world to Arnes. The actor was young at the time and doubted his potential success on television, but the veteran star said, “It’s something you really should be doing.”
Arnes initially thought so gunsmoke That would be the end of his career, but it actually gave it a new lease of life. He played the main character for 20 seasons and five made-for-TV movies, cementing him as CBS’s biggest star at the time.