William Conrad William Conrad William Conrad (September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American World War II fighter pilot, actor, producer, and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he starred in the detective series "Cannon" (1971–1976). A radio writer and actor, he moved to Hollywood after his World War II service and played a series of character roles in films beginning with the quintessential film noir "The Killers" (1946). He created the role of Marshal Matt Dillon for the popular radio series "Gunsmoke" (1952–1961) and narrated the television adventures of "Rocky
Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) television successes. Conrad, in particular, would continue to portray Matt on the radio series until it ended in 1961. He would also go on to direct a number of television programs (including two episodes of "Gunsmoke"), to become "The Narrator" for the original television series of "The Fugitive" (1963–1967) and star in three television series: "Cannon" (1971–1976), "Jake and the Fat Man" (1987–1992), and the short-lived 1981 series "Nero Wolfe". In the 1988 action classic, "Die Hard", Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), asks John McClane (Bruce Willis) whom he is trying to imitate with his heroics, and he mentions Marshal Dillon