Gunsmoke actor Amanda Blake didn’t have the easiest time landing her role as Miss Kitty Russell. She became so iconic in the role that it’s difficult to imagine any other actor in the part. However, Blake wasn’t about to let the part slip through her fingers so easily. She employed a stubborn tactic to make sure that the Gunsmoke casting office had no choice but to allow her to audition for the decision-makers.
‘Gunsmoke’ actor Amanda Blake started her career in film
Before Blake achieved fame in Gunsmoke, she started her career in motion pictures after leaving her job as a telephone operator in New York. She was signed with Metro-Goldwyn Mayer because there was some buzz that she could be the next Greer Garson. Blake starred in films such as 1952’s Cattle Town and 1954’s Miss Robin Crusoe.
However, she later secured a role in Gunsmoke. The series commitment made it difficult for her to continue making movies, so she ultimately decided to keep her focus on the smaller screen. Nevertheless, it didn’t keep her from occasionally taking to other television shows, including The Red Skelton Show and Hollywood Squares.
Amanda Blake sat outside of the ‘Gunsmoke’ casting office
According to Ben Costello’s Gunsmoke: An American Institution: Celebrating 50 Years of Television’s Best Western, Blake talked about securing her role as Kitty. It was no easy task because CBS didn’t want to audition her for the part for reasons that weren’t privy to the star. Nevertheless, she was “adamant” and employed a tactic to make sure that they understood how serious she was.
Blake said that she sat outside of the Gunsmoke casting office until they paid her attention and allowed her to audition. She once shared the experience while she was at an Actors and Others for Animals benefit in the 1980s, according to Costello.
“Everybody in town wanted to play Kitty, the original ‘w**** with a heart of gold,’” Blake said with a laugh. “I think every actress in Hollywood, even a few drag queens in the right age range, tested for the part.”
The actor still managed to blow the CBS decision-makers away when they finally gave her a shot. As a result, they wanted to cast the leading role of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon around her. John Pickard and Denver Pyle were at the top of the list, but the former didn’t have any chemistry with her. Pyle ultimately lost out on the part to James Arness.
She played Miss Kitty Russell for 19 seasons
Blake deeply valued the opportunity to play Kitty on Gunsmoke. The cast became a close-knit family over the years, working together to put on the very best show possible. Co-star Dennis Weaver left to pursue other creative avenues, but Blake was one of the few cast members to stick around for as long as she did.
She continued to play Kitty for 19 out of the 20 seasons that CBS aired. The only other original actors to stick around for longer were Arness and Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, who played their parts for the entirety of the run.