James Arness became CBS’ most valuable asset with playing U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. The audience loved seeing him in the role because he had the look and the personality required for the part. However, Arness wasn’t always so confident in himself, especially regarding his immediately noticeable height. As a result, he refused to take some promotional pictures because he thought it made him look “ridiculous.”
‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness grew up self-conscious about his height
Gunsmoke actor Arness stood at an impressive 6’7″ that would have many men feeling envious. However, he viewed it as more of a curse than a blessing. According to a 1961 interview with TV Guide, the actor reflected on his journey through his adolescence regarding his height. Unsurprisingly, the football coaches he met over the course of his life were desperate to get him involved in the sport. However, Arness didn’t have an interest in team sports, but he enjoyed fishing and boating.
Arness ultimately learned not to be self-conscious about his height as he got older, but it stuck with him for quite some time. The actor couldn’t break into Hollywood feature films because no leading male actors wanted him in their movies due to his height. He towered over them, making them look much smaller in comparison.
James Arness refused to pose for ‘Gunsmoke’ promotional pictures because of his height
A friend of Arness’ told TV Guide that in the years leading up to Gunsmoke, Arness would “always try to sit down when he talked to you. Or if he had to stand, he’d hunch over. His height may have been the envy of lots of men, but it humiliated Jim.”
This carried over into other aspects of the actor’s life and into his career. A magazine photo editor wanted to do a promotional shoot with him on a below-average-sized horse, but Arness wasn’t having it.
“Jim’s feet would have almost touched the ground,” the publicist said. “It was just a gag shot but Jim refused to pose. He said it would make him look ridiculous.”
Arness didn’t take himself too seriously on the set of Gunsmoke, but he was sensitive when it came to certain issues. He didn’t enjoy doing press or any sort of interviews and did all that he could to avoid it.
The actor needed bigger horses on the Western television show
Arness wasn’t entirely incorrect regarding how he looked on Gunsmoke. His size wasn’t something to be ignored, as the audience certainly took note. CBS regularly received viewer letters regarding the show, with the majority of them addressing the lead actor.
Viewers pointed out how silly Arness looked on some of the horses that didn’t quite look big enough for him. As a result, the production needed to find new ways to make the size difference less obvious. Fortunately, Arness made peace with his height and didn’t allow it to weigh him down as it did in his adolescence.