Janet Surtees Biography

Janet Surtees (also known as Janet Surtees Arness) is the widow of James Arness, a late Hollywood celebrity. Her late husband was well-known for his long-running role as Marshal Matt Dillon in the cult hit CBS TV series Gunsmoke. The couple had been dating a year before the drama series ended, she did not feature in Gunsmoke.

Janet Surtees Now, Janet Surtees Age

Janet is 75 years of age as of 2022, her date of birth is February 15, 1947, in the United States of America. She is an American by nationality and belongs to the Caucasian ethnicity.

Is Janet Surtees still alive?-Janet Surtees Obituary

According to tidings info, Janet is still alive and she resides in Los Angeles, where she lived with James before his death. She’s also a committed humanitarian. She enjoys giving back to the community and is frequently found volunteering with the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Education Foundation. James was known for donating artifacts he’d gathered from the sets he worked on to charity on a regular basis. Janet, like her husband, is always looking for ways to give back.

Janet Surtees Family

Surtees’ father was a pilot, but her mother’s identity has remained a mystery. She has a sibling who has previously worked as a pilot.

Janet Surtees Husband

In a private wedding ceremony in 1978, the pair married. Since their wedding, they’ve been blissfully married, supporting each other through thick and thin until the actor’s death in 2011.

Despite their long marriage, the two kept their love lives under wraps for the duration of their relationship. They used to make occasional appearances in public.

Their combined appearance at a signing of James’ book James Arness: An Autobiography in Los Angeles in 2001 was one of their few public appearances.

Janet used to work at Glen Alden’s wife’s shop on Tujunga Avenue, which was owned by James Arness’s makeup artist. She worked in the shop for almost six years. It was there that Janet met the man who would become her husband.

Glen’s wife used to brag about James’ exploits and memorable parts in films and television series, particularly on the CBS serial Gunsmoke.

Surtees, on the other hand, was unaware of James’ great Hollywood career at the time. Janet was working at the time when the actor himself came over for supper, and the two had their first meeting.

They proceeded to Red Ridge Meadows in Mammoth Lakes after a few days. There, the two had a lot of fun. For the coupling, the actor rented horses. They were both avid skiers as well.

They returned home after spending some quality time together, and James informed his future bride that he was heading to Alaska and would call her only when he returned.

Janet, on the other hand, said that the star had not called her in several months. After three months, James finally called her, and the two went out to dinner. They began dating after that and dated for almost four years before marrying.

Did they have any children together? Janet is the mother of a son from a previous relationship.

No, the couple never had biological children. However, James and Janet both had children from prior relationships. Surtees has a son from a previous relationship.

The identity of her son’s biological father, on the other hand, is still unknown. Janet’s kid, after all, was a huge Gunsmoke fan.

James, on the other hand, had two children from his first marriage to Virginia Chapman: a boy Rolf (born February 18, 1952) and a daughter Jenny Lee Arness (born May 23, 1950). Rolf, their son, won the 1970 World Surfing Championship. Jenny, their daughter, died in 1975 from a heroin overdose.

James, one of the finest actors of all time, died on June 3rd, 2011. At the time of his death, he was 88 years old. In his Brentwood home in Los Angeles, he died of natural causes.

His corpse was laid to rest in Glendale, California’s Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Janet’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million. She is now living in Los Angeles. The city’s average median price for a home is $650,000.

Her late husband, James, on the other hand, had an estimated net worth of $27.95 million at the time of his death. His fortune came primarily from his acting profession. In 1974, he made his acting debut in the movie The Farmer’s Daughter.

James Arness

James Arness, full name, James King Aurness (May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor who was best known for playing Marshal Matt Dillon in the CBS television series Gunsmoke for 20 years. Arness has the distinction of portraying Dillon in five decades: on the weekly series from 1955 to 1975, then in Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) and four more made-for-television Gunsmoke features in the 1990s. Arness rose to cult status in Europe for his portrayal as Zeb Macahan in the Western series How the West Was Won. Peter Graves, the actor, was his older brother.

James Arness Net Worth

James Arness had a net worth of $27.95 million at the time of his death, he was an American actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the CBS television series Gunsmoke.

How much did James Arness get paid for each episode of Gunsmoke?

In the early years of Gunsmoke, James Arness received $1,200 per episode for his role as Marshal Matt Dillon. He renegotiated his contract and began earning $20,000 per episode once the television show won accolades and became more famous. This would have cost roughly $150,000 now.

James Arness Cause of Death

Arness died of natural causes on June 3, 2011, at the age of 88, in his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. His corpse was laid to rest in the Sanctuary of Abiding Hope alcove in the Jasmine Terrace area of Forest Lawn Memorial Park’s Great Mausoleum in Glendale, California.

James Arness Brother

Peter Graves, Arness’ younger brother, was an actor. Peter went by the theatrical name “Graves,” which was derived from his mother’s surname.

Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness on March 18, 1926, died March 14, 2010) was an American actor who appeared in films and television shows. From 1967 to 1973 (original) and 1988 to 1990 (reboot), he was most remembered for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series Mission: Impossible (revival).

James Arness, his older brother, was an actor. Graves was well recognized for his roles in the 1980 comedy picture Airplane! and its sequel Airplane II: The Sequel, in which he played airline pilot Captain Clarence Oveur.