Initially, cowboy commercials involving the Marlboro Man featured paid models, such as William Thourlby, pretending to carry out cowboy tasks. However, Burnett felt that the commercials lacked authenticity, as it was apparent that the subjects were not real cowboys and did not have the desired rugged look. One of the finest was a non-smoking rodeo cowboy, Max Bryan "Turk" Robinson, who was recruited at a rodeo. Another, Robert Norris, was recruited after it was discovered he was a friend of John Wayne; Norris also never smoked, and after a 12-year run as a Marlboro Man, he quit the role to avoid being a bad influence on his children. Norris died, age 90, in 2019.