How Burt Reynolds Really Felt About His Gunsmoke Co-Star James Arness

The late Burt Reynolds was a connoisseur of strong opinions. The man was known for speaking his mind, and what was on his mind was often unpredictable, entertaining, offensive, or otherwise wild. There was, for instance, that time he complained about the work of a then-up-and-coming Paul Thomas Anderson throughout the filming of "Boogie Nights," supposedly firing his agent because he hated the movie so much and only (slightly) changing his tune once he earned an Oscar nomination for his role. His opinions were just as colorful when it came to Greta Garbo (Per The Sun: she had "beautiful breasts"), Ingmar Bergman (To Esquire: "I'd rather be shot in the leg than watch an Ingmar Bergman picture"), and countless other celebrities with whom he crossed paths over his decades-long career.

With his reputation for airing grievances in mind, you'd be forgiven for imagining some beef might have existed between Reynolds and his co-stars on the show that first made him famous, "Gunsmoke." Surprisingly, though, the actor had nothing but good things to say about James Arness, the man who played Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 seasons on the classic Western. Reynolds, who played blacksmith Quint Asper for three seasons of the show, actually wrote the foreword to Arness' 2001 autobiography (per MeTV), in which he fondly recalled their time working together.

According to Reynolds, Arness was funny in a surprising way, surpassing even his experiences with Richard Pryor when it came to unexpected laughs. "The biggest surprise for everyone who had the good fortune to work on a few episodes of 'Gunsmoke' in those days was Jim Arness," Reynolds wrote. "He was funny. I mean get-the-giggles, wrap-up-for-the-cast-and-crew "time-out"-and-get-it-together funny." The "Smokey and the Bandit" actor pointed out that Arness cut an imposing figure, which contrasted against his lighthearted tendencies. "Your first thought always was, 'Damn, he's bigger than I thought he would be,'" he observed.

Arness, who died in 2011, "had that wonderful ability to surprise you, make you laugh at yourself or the situation that actors often find themselves in," according to Reynolds. The "Gunsmoke" co-star also wrote that Arness was also without ego — something the actor who Marlon Brando once said "worships at the temple of his own narcissism" would have known a thing or two about. "He never imposed his position on anyone" despite being number one on the call sheet, Reynolds said. "Not once did I or anyone else ever see Jim being rude, overbearing, self-righteous, or selfish to anyone, whether crewmembers, extras, day players or co-stars."

Public opinions on Arness have varied over the years, with Leonard Nimoy calling him a friend, John Wayne falling out with him, and fellow "Gunsmoke" actor Milburn Stone taking a while to warm up to him. In the eyes of Reynolds, though, there was no one better. "I've done over 200 TV shows and over 75 features and I can't think of any actor whose behavior on the set and off was more unpretentious than Jim's," he wrote in Arness' autobiography. "This will embarrass Jim, to hear me say that he was and is so loved and revered by all of us," Reynolds concluded, "But you have to face it, old friend. Like it or not, you and ["Gunsmoke"] are what the word icon really represents."