Rugged Hugh O'Brian is one of those numerous actors whose credits are as long as your arm, but his celebrity is tightly tied to his title role in TV's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," which appeared from 1955 to 1961. Many regard this show as the earliest "adult Western," in the sense that it was primarily intended for a grownup audience.
O'Brian was one of those Western heroes born back East--in his case, Rochester, NY. He served in the Marines in World War II and after the war, moved to Los Angeles, where he soon landed the part of Earp. In this role, he burnished the public perception of the real Wyatt Earp, who, unlike O'Brian, was not always Mr. Nice Guy.
O'Brian appeared on many other shows: "Playhouse 90," "The Virginian," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Perry Mason," "Charlie's Angels," "Police Story," "Fantasy Island," and a long list of others. His list of movie credits is also impressive, but in the public mind, he will firmly remain as Wyatt Earp, frontier lawman.
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