Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) no uncertain terms that he had no interest whatsoever. (Wayne was arguably the cinema's foremost box office attraction at the time.) Warren stated that the inquiry had not been serious inasmuch as Wayne could not realistically have been expected to abandon a thriving movie career for a less certain and immensely less lucrative television role. Wayne did, however, recommend James Arness for the part and his offer to introduce the first episode was readily accepted by CBS. Others who had auditioned for the part included Raymond Burr, Richard Boone, Denver Pyle, and William Conrad. All would go on to other
Matt Hicks Matt Hicks Matt Hicks (born 1961) is a sports broadcaster who calls Texas Rangers games alongside Eric Nadel on the radio. In the middle of the 2012 season, Hicks joined the Rangers after spending 10 years with the Corpus Christi Hooks. He replaced Steve Busby, who replaced Dave Barnett as the primary television play-by-play announcer for the Rangers due to Barnett's health issues. Before the 2013 season, Hicks' promotion was made permanent. Before his tenure with the Hooks, he was also the voice of the El Paso Diablos and the Frederick Keys. He also called the Houston Astros minor league