This lanky, laconic actor possessed an Everyman quality that rendered him perfect for the small screen. Dennis Weaver became a television mainstay for more than 40 years, appearing in everything from movies-of-the-week, to commercials, to his real bread-and-butter – series television – with such classics as "Gunsmoke" and "McCloud."Born June 4, 1924 in Joplin, MO, Weaver excelled in high school drama and athletics. After serving in the Navy during WWII, the young actor earned a degree at the University of Oklahoma and qualified for the Olympic decathlon. After college, Weaver headed to New
