SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Rolf Aurness, father of actors James Arness and Peter Graves, died Monday at the age of 88. Aurness, a rancher in Ventura County for 20 years, died at a Simi Valley hospital of natural causes, officials said.
Why don t Peter Graves and James Arness have the same last name?
Peter Aurness grew up with his older brother James in Minneapolis. The two boys both joined the Army in World War II and later fell into acting. James altered the family surname to Arness. Peter opted for a stage name from his maternal side, Graves.
Did Peter Graves and James Arness ever star together?
Sadly, no. American audiences missed out seeing the original Aurness brothers on their TV screens. However, Peter Graves did direct his brother in an episode of Gunsmoke.
Why did James Arness leave Gunsmoke?
Before his death in 2011, Arness did an interview with True West Magazine. It was during this interview, that he said leaving the show for bigger and better things was something he had ever really considered doing. “An awful lot of TV actors tried that and didn’t do too well.
What race was Arness?
James Arness was born in Minneapolis. His parents were businessman Rolf Cirkler Aurness and journalist Ruth Duesler. His father’s ancestry was Norwegian; his mother’s was German. The family name had been Aursnes, but when Rolf’s father, Peter Aursnes, emigrated from Norway in 1887, he changed it to Aurness.
Did James Arness and Dennis Weaver get along?
Weaver and actor James Arness were close friends since their 1955 screen test for “Gunsmoke.”
Is Leslie Nielsen related to James Arness?
James Arness Brother Leslie Nielsen: Peter Graves Passes Away at 93.
Who was the mother of Matt Dillon’s daughter?
Michael Learned, who actually played Dillon’s romantic interest in a “Gunsmoke” episode years ago, plays Dillon’s former love and mother of their daughter, and Richard Kiley is Chalk Brighton, an Army Scout who is Learned’s die-hard suitor.
Why did James Arness walk with a limp?
During the battle of Anzio, Arness’ right leg was peppered with machine gun bullets, and when the bones were set they didn’t mend properly, leaving him with a slight but permanent limp. The trauma of the experience mellowed into aimlessness after the war.
Did they drink real beer on Gunsmoke?
Gunsmoke actors drank beer rather than whiskey, but they drank tea or colored water in place of whiskey. During his tenure as Arizona’s historian, Marshall Trimble has also served as the history association’s vice president.
