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Buck Taylor (born Walter Clarence Taylor III,[1][2] May 13, 1938)[3] is an American actor and artist, best known for his role as gunsmith-turned-deputy Newly O'Brian in the CBS television series Gunsmoke.
Buck Taylor | |
|---|---|
 Taylor at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival | |
| Born | Walter Clarence Taylor III May 13, 1938 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, artist |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Spouses | |
| Parent | Dub Taylor (father) |
| Website | www |
Taylor is the son of character actor Dub Taylor,[4] from whom Buck reportedly acquired his nickname simply because, having clocked in at a hefty nine pounds at birth, he "looked like a big buck."[1] Taylor graduated from North Hollywood High School, where he became a talented gymnast. Actor Guinn "Big Boy" Williams sponsored him to go to the U.S. Olympic Trials as a gymnast, but he failed to qualify for the 1960 Summer Olympics.[5] He served two years in the United States Navy.[6]
His first important acting role was as Trooper Shattuck in the 1961 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre episode "Image of a Drawn Sword". His other early roles were in a 1964 episode of The Outer Limits entitled "Don't Open Till Doomsday", and as John Bradford (Brad) in four episodes of the 1966 ABC Western series The Monroes.[7]
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From 1967 to 1975, Taylor played Newly O'Brian in the television series Gunsmoke.[8]: 413–414 He replaced deputy marshal Clayton Thaddeus Greenwood, played by Roger Ewing, after Ewing left the show.[8] The character came to Dodge City as a gunsmith, and later became a deputy marshal. He reprised his role in the 1987 television movie Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge,[9] where he played the city's marshal.
In 1981, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum inducted Taylor into the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and awarded him the Trustee Award for his performance on Gunsmoke.[10]
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Taylor attended the Chouinard Art Institute, and has been selling his watercolor and acrylic paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, and horses since 1993.[10] Many of his paintings are of characters and scenes from movies and television series in which he has appeared. These images are made into prints, which are sold in various sizes.[11] He is the official artist for many rodeos and state fairs, and creates their promotional posters.[12]
Film
- 1966 - The Wild Angels as Dear John
- 1976 - Pony Express Rider as Bovey Kingman
- 1978 - Beartooth
- 1981 - The Legend of the Lone Ranger as Robert Edward Gattlin
- 1981 - Cattle Annie and Little Britches as Dyamite Dick
- 1983 - Triumphs of a Man Called Horse as Sgt. Bridger
- 1984 - No Man's Land as Feeny
- 1990 - Big Bad John as Bob Simmons
- 1991 - Conagher as Tile Coker
- 1993 - Gettysburg as Colonel William Gamble
- 1993 - Tombstone as “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson
- 1998 - Hard Time as Capt. Adam Gunther
- 2003 - Gods and Generals as General Maxcy Gregg
- 2005 - Truce as Harry Dodds
- 2006 - Flicka as Wagner
- 2007 - The Mist as Ambrose Cornell
- 2011 - Cowboys & Aliens as Wes Claibourne
- 2017 - The Road to Valhalla as Union Veteran
- 2016 - Indiscretion as Abe
- 2016 - Hell or High Water as Old Man
- 2019 - Trading Paint as Ben
Television
 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Officer Frazier | Season 1 Episode 10: "Day of Reckoning" |
| 1963 | Going My Way | Mickey | Episode 15: "My Son The Social Worker" |
| 1963 | Johnny Shiloh | Josh | TV movie |
| 1963 | The Fugitive | Jamie | episode "Terror At High Point" |
| 1964 | The Outer Limits | Gard Hayde | episode "Do Not Open 'Til Doomsday" |
| 1964 | My Favorite Martian | Bruce Baker | Season 1 episode 34 "The Disastro-Nauts" |
| 1965 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Dancer Smith | Season 3 Episode 20: "Death Scene" |
| 1965 | Wagon Train | Skeeter Ames | Episode 15: "The Chottsie Gubenheimer Story" |
| 1965 | The Big Valley | Turk | episode "The Young Marauders" |
| 1966 | The Virginian | Lem Bliss | [ men with guns] |
| 1966 | The Monroes | John "Brad" Bradford | 4 episodes |
| 1967–1975 | Gunsmoke | Newly O'Brien | 103 episodes[13] |
| 1977 | Barnaby Jones | Foster | episode "Shadow of Fear" |
| 1979 | The Sacketts | Reed Carney | TV movie |
| 1985 | General Hospital | Ralph Russell | |
| 1985 | Crazy Like a Fox | Blake | |
| 1987 | The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory | “Colorado” Smith | miniseries |
| 1987 | Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge | Newly O’Brien | TV movie |
| 1997 | Rough Riders | George Neville | miniseries |
| 1999 | The Soul Collector | Charlie | TV movie |
| 2018–2022 | Yellowstone | Emmett Walsh |
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