Gerald McRaney
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
McRaney holds the distinction of being the last guest star to meet
"Matt Dillon" in a gunfight on
Gunsmoke (1955)- in the episode,Hard Labor (1975),first broadcast on February 24, 1975 (he lost). In fact, in the early portion of Gerald McRaney's career he almost always played
the villain; but, since his first series,
Simon & Simon (1981),hit it
big, he's played mostly good guys. The character of passionate but
irresponsible "Rick Simon" gave McRaney the opportunity to play a
dramatic role with a comedic edge. A second hit series,
Major Dad (1989),showcased his
talent for comedy. McRaney met and fell in love with fellow southerner
Delta Burkewhen she guest-starred on
Simon & Simon (1981).He later
appeared on her series,
Designing Women (1986),as
her ex-husband, although it is an unwritten rule that actors with
current series don't do guest roles; they were married not long after.
