Yellowstone

How ‘Gunsmoke’ Icon Buck Taylor Added to His Western Legacy with ‘Yellowstone’

Buck Taylor, who is known for his role on the long-running classic western TV show, “Gunsmoke,” now has a recurring role on Paramount’s hit series “Yellowstone.”

“Gunsmoke” alum Buck Taylor did appear on “Yellowstone” during the show’s third season. Taylor was recently seen in episode 10 of the season, “The World is Purple.” Taylor assumed the role of “Emmett Walsh on the show. Walsh is notably a ranch hand at the Dutton ranch. He made other appearances in the season. Taylor also appeared in the seventh episode of “Yellowstone’s” first season as well, called “The Monster is Among Us.”

Born in 1938, Buck Taylor began his acting career in 1961. He portrayed Newly O’Brien in “Gunsmoke” from 1967 to 1975. In 1981, he was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Cowboy Hall of Fame. The museum also awarded him with the Trustee Award for his performance in the western TV series.

Along with “Gunsmoke” and “Yellowstone” Buck Taylor also appeared in other TV series. They are “General Hospital,” “Crazy Like A Fox,” “The Fugitive,” and “The Soul Collector.”

Taylor has also been in some films, including “Cowboys & Aliens,” “Flicka,” “Gods and Generals,” and “Gettysburg.”

‘Gunsmoke’ Star Buck Taylor Opens Up About His Interest in Painting and Poster Artwork

During an October 2011 interview with True West Magazine, Buck Taylor shared details about his painting and poster artwork. “I’ve been so blessed to have success painting,” the “Gunsmoke” icon declared. “I do a lot of posters. Poster art is something that’s collected all over the world, and it’s not an expensive piece of artwork.”

Buck Taylor also recalled painting becoming something he was interested in before acting. “I was a little boy. You couldn’t keep a pencil out of my hand. I think, for artists, it’s nothing something a young person wants to do. It’s something they have to do.”

Along with being a painter and actor, Buck Taylor is also a Western historian. “When I was on ‘Gunsmoke,’ we had to wear a certain type of clothing that was fairly authentic, maybe more so than some of the other shows, although the gun rigs were really not appropriate or authentic. I did as much as I could with what I had. After ‘Gunsmoke,’ I made a decision. I was looking at [Frederic] Remington paintings and studying old photographs, and said, ‘I’m going to try to get this close to what it really looked like.’”

In regards to his acting, Buck Taylor went on to add, “I was playing Gen. Maxcy Gregg in ‘Gods & Generals,’ and when they were shooting my death scene, I looked up at Stephen Lang. Stephen was playing Stonewall Jackson, and he’d also played Ike Clanton in ‘Tombstone.’ So when I saw Stephen, I just moaned, ‘Ike Clanton… I’ve caught up with you at last.’”

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