Dennis Weaver of 'Gunsmoke' dead at 81
Actor was also an activist
06:38 PM CST on Monday, February 27, 2006
Dennis Weaver, the lanky actor whose easygoing drawl helped make Gunsmoke and McCloud television favorites, has died of cancer complications at age 81. Mr. Weaver, who died Friday at his home in southwestern Colorado, was a struggling actor in Hollywood in 1955, earning $60 a week delivering flowers when he was offered $300 a week for a role in a new CBS television series, Gunsmoke. By the end of his nine years with Gunsmoke, he was earning $9,000 a week. When Mr. Weaver first auditioned for the series, he found the character of Chester "inane." He wrote in his 2001 autobiography, All the World's a Stage, that he said to himself: "With all my Actors Studio training, I'll correct this character by using my own experiences and drawing from myself." The result was a well-rounded character that appealed to audiences, especially with his drawling, "Mis-ter Dil-lon." At the end of seven hit seasons, Mr. Weaver sought other horizons. He announced his departure, but the failures of pilots for his own series caused him to return to Gunsmoke on a limited basis for two more years. The role brought him an Emmy in the 1958-59 season. In 1966, Mr. Weaver starred with a 600-pound black bear in Gentle Ben , about a family that adopts a bear as a pet. The series was well-received, but after two seasons, CBS decided it needed more adult entertainment and canceled it. Next came the character Sam McCloud, which Mr. Weaver called "the most satisfying role of my career." The McCloud series, 1970-77, juxtaposed a no-nonsense lawman from Taos, N.M., onto the crime-ridden streets of New York City. His Wild-West tactics drove local policemen crazy, but he always solved the case. He appeared in several movies, including Touch of Evil, Ten Wanted Men, Gentle Giant, Seven Angry Men, Dragnet , Way ... Way Out and The Bridges at Toko-Ri. Mr. Weaver also was an activist for protecting the environment and combating world hunger. He served as president of Love Is Feeding Everyone, which fed 150,000 needy people a week in Los Angeles County. He founded the Institute of Ecolonomics, which sought solutions to economic and environmental problems. He spoke at the United Nations and Congress, as well as to students, about fighting pollution and starvation. Earthship was the most visible of Mr. Weaver's crusades. He and his wife, Gerry, built a solar-powered Colorado home out of recycled tires and cans. The thick walls helped keep the inside temperature even year around. Mr. Weaver is survived by his wife; sons Rick, Robby and Rusty; and three grandchildren. The Associated Press and Bloomberg News contributed to this report. 
