Dennis Weaver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dennis Weaver
Weaver in 1960
Born	William Dennis Weaver (1924-06-04)June 4, 1924 Joplin, Missouri, U.S.
Died	February 24, 2006(2006-02-24) (aged 81) Ridgway, Colorado, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1952–2005
Spouse(s)	Gerry Stowell ​ (m. 1945)​
Children	3
18th President of the Screen Actors Guild
In office 1973–1975
Preceded by	John Gavin
Succeeded by	Kathleen Nolan

William Dennis Weaver (born June 4, 1924 – died February 24, 2006) was an American actor. He was also a past president of the Screen Actors Guild, a group that represents actors. Dennis Weaver was famous for his roles in TV shows and movies from the 1950s until just before he passed away in 2006.

He is best known for playing Marshal Matt Dillon's loyal helper, Chester Goode, on the CBS western show Gunsmoke. He also starred as Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud in the NBC police drama McCloud. In 1971, he was the main actor in the TV movie Duel, which was the first film directed by the famous Steven Spielberg. Many people also remember him as the nervous motel worker in Orson Welles's movie Touch of Evil (1958).

Early Life and Dreams

Dennis Weaver was born on June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents were Walter Leon Weaver and Lenna Leora Prather. From a young age, Dennis dreamed of becoming an actor.

He lived in different places like Shreveport, Louisiana, and Manteca, California. He went to college at Joplin Junior College and then the University of Oklahoma. There, he studied drama and was a great track athlete. He even set records in several events!

During World War II, he served as a pilot in the United States Navy. He flew Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter planes. After the war, he married his childhood sweetheart, Gerry Stowell. They had three children together.

In 1948, Dennis tried out for the U.S. Olympic team in the decathlon. He finished sixth, but only the top three athletes were chosen. After that, he decided to focus on acting.

Becoming a Star

Dennis Weaver's first role on Broadway was as a backup actor in a play called Come Back, Little Sheba. He later took over the main role in the touring version of the play. To become a better actor, he joined the Actors Studio.

At the beginning of his acting career, he took many different jobs to support his family. He sold vacuum cleaners, tricycles, and even women's hosiery.

In 1952, actress Shelley Winters helped him get a contract with Universal Studios. His first movie was The Redhead from Wyoming that same year. For the next three years, he acted in several movies, but still had to work other jobs.

While delivering flowers, he heard he got the part of Chester Goode on the new TV show Gunsmoke. Chester was the loyal, limping assistant to Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness. This was his big chance! Gunsmoke became one of the most popular and longest-running live-action TV shows in U.S. history. In 1959, Dennis won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Chester.

Weaver as Chester, Milburn Stone as Doc, and Amanda Blake as Kitty in Gunsmoke, 1960

The show's producer wanted Dennis for the role of Chester. Dennis had never heard the radio show before. He decided that Chester should have a stiff leg. This made Chester less capable than the main star, which was a common idea for sidekicks.

In 1958, Dennis played a unique supporting role in the Orson Welles film Touch of Evil. He was a strange motel employee who kept nervously saying, "I'm the night man." He also appeared in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1960. In 1961, he was in The Twilight Zone episode "Shadow Play."

From 1964 to 1965, he starred in the NBC show Kentucky Jones. He played a friendly veterinary physician who was a single dad raising an adopted Chinese boy. He also had an important role in the 1966 western movie Duel at Diablo. From 1967 to 1969, he played Tom Wedloe in the CBS family series Gentle Ben, about a boy and his bear.

In 1970, Dennis Weaver got the main role in the NBC series McCloud. He was nominated for two Emmy Awards for this show. McCloud was about a lawman from the Old West who ends up working in New York City. Dennis's frequent use of the phrase, "There you go," became a famous saying from the show.

While working on McCloud, Dennis also starred in the 1971 TV movie Duel. Director Steven Spielberg chose him for the role because of his strong acting in Touch of Evil.

Dennis Weaver also recorded music, mostly spoken-word songs with music. He released several songs and albums between 1959 and 1984.

From 1973 to 1975, Dennis Weaver was the president of the Screen Actors Guild.

Later in the 1980s, he starred in two TV series, Stone and Buck James. In Stone, he played a police sergeant who became a crime novelist. In Buck James, he was a Texas surgeon and rancher. He also played a Navy rear admiral in the series Emerald Point N.A.S. from 1983 to 1984.

In 1977, he appeared in the TV movie Intimate Strangers. This was one of the first TV movies to show domestic violence. In 1978, he was in the TV miniseries Centennial. He also acted in many other TV movies, like Amber Waves (1980) with Kurt Russell. In 1980, he played Dr. Samuel Mudd in The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd. Dr. Mudd was imprisoned for being involved in the Lincoln assassination.

Dennis Weaver received great reviews for his role in the 1987 film Bluffing It. In this movie, he played a man who could not read or write. In 2002, he lent his voice to the animated show The Simpsons. He played an old Hollywood cowboy legend named Buck McCoy.

For his amazing work in television, Dennis Weaver received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also honored in 1981 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Dennis Weaver's last acting job was on an ABC Family TV show called Wildfire. He played Henry Ritter, a ranch owner. His role ended when he passed away.

Personal Life

Weaver in 2000

Dennis Weaver married Gerry Stowell after World War II. They had three sons: Richard, Robert, and Rustin. Dennis Weaver became a vegetarian in 1958. He also studied yoga and meditation starting in the 1960s. He was a dedicated follower of Paramahansa Yogananda, an Indian spiritual teacher. Gerry, his wife, passed away in 2016 at the age of 90.

Dennis Weaver cared deeply about the environment. His home in Ridgway, Colorado, showed this commitment. In the late 1980s, he hired an architect named Michael Reynolds to design his new house. This home was built using recycled materials, like old car tires and discarded cans. It also used solar power and other eco-friendly technologies. Dennis called his home "Earthship," which is the name for this type of sustainable building. The Weavers lived in their Earthship home for over 14 years.

In 2003, Dennis Weaver's daughter-in-law, Lynne Ann Weaver, passed away in Santa Monica, California. She was one of several people who died when a car crashed into a farmers market.

Dennis Weaver was a lifelong member of the Democratic Party.

Helping Others and the Planet

Dennis Weaver was a strong environmentalist. He supported using clean energy sources like hydrogen and wind power. He started a non-profit environmental group called the Institute of Ecolonomics in 1993. The word "Ecolonomics" combines "ecology" (the study of nature) and "economics" (the study of money and resources).

He also worked with John Denver's WindStar Foundation. Dennis founded an organization called L.I.F.E. (Love is Feeding Everyone). This group provided food for many people in need in Los Angeles every week.

Dennis Weaver was also active in political causes that supported social change. He used his fame to help raise money and organize events for George McGovern's campaign for President in 1972.

In 2004, he led a group of cars that ran on alternative fuels across the United States. He wanted to show people that America could rely less on oil.

Dennis Weaver was always involved with the annual Genesis Awards. These awards honor people in the news and entertainment who help bring attention to animals that are suffering.

Death

Dennis Weaver passed away from complications of prostate cancer on February 24, 2006. He died at his home in Ridgway, Colorado.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Dennis Weaver para niños