10 TV Lines Actors Refused To Say

1. James Arness Wanted Less Lines - Gunsmoke

American Horror Story Apocalypse Kathy Bates
Norman Macdonnell

And finally, in the case of Gunsmoke star James Arness - who played protagonist Marshal Matt Dillon - he didn't reject a specific line for moral or creative reasons, but a whole host of them because he felt that less would be more.

In a 1973 interview, Arness confessed that he intentionally had Dillon's lines trimmed down because he didn't want the audience growing tired of his presence on-screen, preferring instead to speak less and have some of his dialogue handed off to the wider ensemble cast. He said:

"With too much dialogue an actor can talk himself right off the air. People get tired of looking at him and listening to him. I try to do a heavy show four or five times a year. By that, I mean I will play a major figure in the story. The rest of the time, I don’t press it too much. I let the others take over."

Arness further reasoned that this approach would "give viewers a rest" and avoid Dillon being overexposed, and given that Arness played the part for all of Gunsmoke's 20 seasons, his gambit evidently worked.

 
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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.