Buck Taylor
Taylor at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival
Born
Walter Clarence Taylor III

(1938-05-13) May 13, 1938
Hollywood, Los Angeles
California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, artist
Years active1961–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1961; div. 1983)​
    Goldie Ann Taylor
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1995)​
    ParentDub Taylor (father)
    Websitewww.bucktaylor.com

    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.

    Early life and career

    Taylor is the son of Florence Gertrude Heffernan and 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]

    Gunsmoke

    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]

    Artwork

    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]

    Filmography

    Film

    Television

    YearTitleRoleNotes
    1962The Alfred Hitchcock HourOfficer FrazierSeason 1 Episode 10: "Day of Reckoning"
    1963Johnny ShilohJoshTV movie
    1963The FugitiveJamieepisode "Terror At High Point"
    1964The Outer LimitsGard Haydeepisode "Do Not Open 'Til Doomsday"
    1965The Alfred Hitchcock HourDancer SmithSeason 3 Episode 20: "Death Scene"
    1965The Big ValleyTurkepisode "The Young Marauders"
    1966The VirginianLem Bliss[ men with guns]
    1966The MonroesJohn "Brad" Bradford4 episodes
    1967–1975GunsmokeNewly O'Brien103 episodes[13]
    1979The SackettsReed CarneyTV movie
    1985General HospitalRalph Russell
    1985Crazy Like a FoxBlake
    1987The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory“Colorado” Smithminiseries
    1987Gunsmoke: Return to DodgeNewly O’BrienTV movie
    1997Rough RidersGeorge Nevilleminiseries
    1999The Soul CollectorCharlieTV movie
    2018–2022YellowstoneEmmett Walsh

    References

    1. 1 2 Yoggy, Gary A. (1995). Riding the Video Range: The Rise and Fall of the Western on Television. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 123. ISBN 9780786400218.
    2. ↑ Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 408. ISBN 978-1-4766-6250-3.
    3. ↑ Duffin, Allan; Matheis, Paul (2005). The 12 O'Clock High Logbook: The Unofficial History of the Novel, Motion Picture, and TV Series. BearManor Media. p. 185. ISBN 9781593930332 – via Google Books.
    4. ↑ Dub Taylor, 87, Actor in Westerns, The New York Times, October 5, 1994, Section B, Page 12
    5. ↑ Artist and Actor Finds Inspiration for Art from Work on Western Films, American Cowboy, September - October, 1995, Pages 23 and 30
    6. ↑ At Home with Walter Clarence "Buck" Taylor III at americancowboy.com. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
    7. ↑ Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 - Present, pages 679 to 680, Ballantine Books, 1999
    8. 1 2 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. p. 570. ISBN 9780345429230 – via Google Books.
    9. ↑ Maltin, Leonard, Leonard Maltin's TV Movies and Video Guide, 1991 Edition, Plume, 1990
    10. 1 2 Meetings, The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 100, No. 1, July, 1996, Page 94
    11. ↑ Artist and Actor Finds Inspiration for Art from Work on Western Films, American Cowboy, September - October 1995, Pages 23 and 30
    12. ↑ Bell, Kathy, The Life of Buck Taylor, Daily Globe, December 2, 2019
    13. ↑ Greenland, David R., The Gunsmoke Chronicles (Ebook), BearManor Media, 2015
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