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Hugh O'Brian, Star of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Dead at 91
The actor appeared in more than 100 movies and shows
Hugh O'Brian, who played Wyatt Earp on the 1950s Western series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, has died. He was 91.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, O'Brian passed peacefully Monday morning in his Beverly Hills home.
O'Brian was best known for his role as the iconic Old West figure Wyatt Earp on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, which ran from 1955 to 1961 on ABC. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1957 for his portrayal of the gunslinger. He was also the last person John Wayne ever shot onscreen, as the Duke's final victim in his last movie, 1976's The Shootist.
O'Brian also founded the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership program, a seminar series that has taught leadership skills to 470,000 high school students over the years.
He was born Hugh Charles Krampe on April 19, 1925 in Rochester, N.Y. and grew up in Winnetka, Ill. He served in the Marines as a drill sergeant at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. Over his long acting career, he appeared in 113 movies and television series, including Perry Mason, Fantasy Island and the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Danny DeVito movie Twins.
O'Brian is survived by his wife Virgina Barber, his brother Don, and seven nieces and nephews.
