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 Burke when 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.
