Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) (whose "supposed" origins figured in the very first episode of the radio series), and he often referred to Wild Bill Hickok as being a close personal friend. In the television version (which ran from 1955 until 1975), and subsequent TV-movies (1987 to 1994), Matt was portrayed by James Arness. Since most of the early television episodes were based on stories and scripts from the radio version, Arness's initial interpretation and portrayal was similar to William Conrad's. However, as the television version continued, Arness's Marshal Matt Dillon evolved in a number of ways. In the television version, Dillon became more resigned
Matt Dillon Movie Award for Best Villain. In 2002, he wrote and directed the film "City of Ghosts", starring himself, James Caan and Gérard Depardieu. In 2005, he starred in "Factotum", a film adaptation of an autobiographical work by Charles Bukowski. Two years later he received critical praise and earned Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for his role in "Crash", a film co-written and directed by Paul Haggis. In 2005, Dillon co-starred in Disney's "" and on March 11, 2006 hosted "Saturday Night Live", in which he impersonated Greg Anderson and Rod Serling in sketches. Dillon starred in