The last surviving “Gunsmoke” star, Buck Taylor, does not look like he used to when he was featured in the well-known and still-loved Western TV series. Still, at 84, he is very happy next to his wife, whom he met late in life. The actor is a father of four and a grandfather to two children. He shares details about his life and posts photos of his days on their ranch.
Buck Taylor is an American actor who played Newly O’Brian in the Western TV series, “Gunsmoke.” His acting career was spent playing minor roles in films and TV.
Taylor loved the Western genre and started as an actor taking roles in Western films and TV shows until his big break when he was cast in “Gunsmoke” in 1967.
Taylor is the only actor still alive from the main members of the “Gunsmoke” cast. The actor said his mentors in the entertainment industry were Milburn Stone and Ken Curtis from the Western series.
The TV star advised younger actors to respect the people that helped them get where they are today. He said the advice Stone and Curtis gave him as his mentors is the same advice he would give to other actors:
“When you go in public, you’re going to meet people that let you into the privacy of their homes, into their bedrooms. They’ll think of you as part of their family, so they’ll feel like they know you. Some will want to hug you. When they do that, don’t disappoint them.”
During his time in “Gunsmoke,” Taylor received many awards from Western museums as he became an icon for the Western genre. He received the Wrangler Award for the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma.
The 84-year-old was married to his co-star Judy Ann Nuget. They appeared together in the 1978 movie “Beartooth, and they were already married when they acted as a pair.
The duo married on March 18, 1961, and divorced on November 13, 1981. Together, they had four children, Tiffany, Adam, Matthew, and Cooper. Taylor was already a husband and father when he was playing in the series “Gunsmoke.”
Tiffany, who was born on June 16, 1962, is an actress who has appeared in several movies, such as “Wet Dreams” in 2019 and “The Bitch in 4B” in 2018.
Matthew, born on October 7, 1970, is a stuntman who has doubled up as some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, such as Brad Pitt and Gary Sinise.
Cooper, born on May 15, 1975, is a stunt actor who works in Hollywood and also participates in team roping competitions on the Rodeo circuit.
Taylor and Nugent lost their son Adam, who was a film director, on June 4, 1994. Adam, born on 7, June 1966, was 27 when he died in a motorcycle accident. He directed films such as “Far and Away” in 1992 and “Tombstone” in 1993.
Adam is the father of Taylor’s two grandchildren, Zane and Carlyle. He was married to actress Anne Lockhart for seven years before he died
At 84, Taylor is a grandfather, and his grandchildren, Zane and Carlyle, are adults now who also ventured into the entertainment scene and became actors.
Zane, born on April 5, 1991, has featured in the 2013 movie, “The Perfect Boyfriend,” and Carlyle, who was born on July 8, 1987, has appeared in the TV series “Law and Order: Criminal Intent.”
Taylor’s kids, grandchildren, and their families keep a low-key life and do not share private photos. However, Taylor’s relative, June Lockhart, who is the mother to Anne, said Zane and Carlyle are 5th generation actors in her daughter’s family:
“My daughter Annie is an actress, and it is quite possible that her two children will be the fifth generation of Lockharts in the acting profession.”
Taylor was lucky to find true love after his divorce. He met his second wife later in his life when he was 57. The actor met his wife in 1995 in Oklahoma and said the day they met was “one of the happiest days of my life.”
The “Yellowstone” star’s wife is Goldie Ann Maudlin, a former flight attendant. He said he met Maudlin at the Quarter Horse world championships, where he was exhibiting his work. The couple dated for three months and exchanged vows the same year.
The artist, who was once an acrobat and gymnast, noted that among the horses they keep, he and his wife ride some to keep in shape but keep the rest in a round pen.
After finding love again, the actor shares pictures with Maudlin on social media, telling his fans how happy he is. In 2015, Taylor and Maudlin were excited to drive through Oklahoma City, where they met during the world championships:
“Me and my bride met here 20 years ago today, and how funny we’re here again to the day! That must mean we just met and have 20 more years to do it all over again. And I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Taylor shared this post alongside a picture of him and his wife smiling. The two donned matching hats and were inside the world championships auditorium.
The “Bender” actor was also lucky that Maudlin is supportive of his craft and art. In 2015, he went to the Boot Hill Museum to donate his painted prints of the “Gunsmoke” cast. His wife accompanied him to the museum as a show of support for his work.
He donated the painted prints of the “Gunsmoke cast” and framed prints of his co-star Matt Dillon in honor of “Gunsmoke’s” 60th Anniversary. The museum thanked him for his donation:
“The framed print of Matt Dillon was given away after the reception held in Buck’s honor on Thursday evening…thank you, Buck and Goldie Taylor, for your generous donations!”
The museum shared a picture of Taylor and Maudlin alongside their thank-you caption. In the photo, the actor/painter was holding his paintings proudly while Maudlin, in her supportive spirit, stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders.
The couple is still very much in love even after spending 28 years together. In 2018, the actor shared a cute picture of them during the celebration of their wedding anniversary and called Maudlin his special bride:
“Enjoying a truly special day with my bride as we celebrate the Anniversary of the day we met. A shout out to our dear friends, the Wells’, celebrating their Anniversary today.”
The actor and his wife were in print jackets. Taylor also donned a cowboy hat while his wife, whose head rested on his shoulder, wore her black hair down to her scarf.
Apart from being an actor and painter, and once an acrobat and gymnast too, Taylor is also a rancher and team roper. The artist lives with his wife on a ranch in West Texas, where he has several horses and some cows and where the couple also plants wheat.
The actor said he loves where he lives as it’s a cowboy country. He referred to the area he lives as the last holdout of true Texas. The father of four added that he likes Texas because it is a rough country:
“The more challenging the land and the weather are, the nicer the people are. Out here, everything has a thorn on it and a scorpion or a snake, but it’s got the nicest people.”
Taylor also confessed he likes living in Texas as it’s sparsely populated, which gives him the balance he needs as he meets a lot of people when he travels:
“When I come back to my ranch, it’s quiet, just nature. You need balance in life. The farther west you go in Texas, the nicer the people. I wish everyone were privileged enough to know the cowboy way.”
The actor said his cowboy life is full of honesty, integrity, and work ethic, and he recognizes his blessings. As a believer in God, he knows he was given a chance to do two things he loves, which are art and acting.
To stay in shape, Taylor and his wife ride some of their horses and keep the rest in a round pen. Taylor also revealed:
“I’m a team roper. I love it! Been doing it for 30 years or more. I was left-handed and switched to right about 14 years ago. I’m a donor, but occasionally I win something.”
The “Rectify” star said his age does not stop him from exercising. He disclosed that he had been active his whole life and was once in the Navy Reserve Mission:
“To do it all over again, I would have wanted to be a Navy Seal. I’d like to think I could have made the grade. Unbelievable how mentally and physically tough they are.”
Taylor explained that he still trains in his backyard to stay fit, and he can still do a summersault flyaway, double, double twisting, pushups, and pull-ups.
However, the actor admitted that he no longer runs as he stopped in his 60s to avoid getting bad knees. Before he quit, he would do an average of 50-60 miles a week. He revealed that he had logged over 40,000 miles in his life but was now focused on other ways of exercising:
“Now I like team roping and horses. I’ll do that as long as I can. I’m grateful that I have no major physical problems at all. I love what I do, and I love people.”
Though he has remained fit over the years, Taylor no longer looks like his younger self. Still, the rancher looks amazing in his cowboy outfits, as he once shared a picture of himself in a black cowboy hat and a light beige coat.
The artist’s wife also looks stunning despite being in her older years. A natural beauty, she does not shy away from showing off her pretty self. She was once spotted in a glittery dress with a deep cleavage at the Western Heritage Awards.
The former flight attendant styled the dress with a pearl necklace. She also wore pearl drop earrings and a brown cowboy hat on her flowy black hair that dropped to her shoulders.
Taylor still appears in TV series and movies. In 2020, he acted in the Western movie “Guns of Paradise” on Get TV, where the rancher still bore his signature cowboy look portraying Deputy Marshall.
Meanwhile, javing mastered art and painting, Taylor hosts shows in Texas. He studied art in college on a scholarship and was often spotted sketching during films and TV breaks. The actor enjoyed painting America’s “Old West,” cowboy scenes, and camp settings, and specialized in watercolor.
He revealed that in his paintings, he is not afraid to be bold. He motivated other artists to break the rules and asked them not to be scared of color:
“I paint extemporaneous and bold. Make it different and interesting. If it turns out good, it’s a happy accident. I have happy accidents.”
Taylor loves to travel around the country with his artwork. He admitted that during his travel,s people still ask him about the hit series “Gunsmoke”:
“People always ask about “Gunsmoke.” They still revere it over a half-century later. It’s amazing. I was at the right spot at the right time. That show had great writing but a simple premise.”
Taylor, who credits God for all his blessings, is a strong believer in his faith and has never been afraid of proclaiming it. On Mother’s Day in 2021, he quoted the Bible and asked God to bless every mother:
“May the good Lord bless the work of your Hands and Heart, you who are mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and Godmothers. For all the ways you show unconditional love to those around you. Thank you.”
Taylor now enjoys his peaceful ranch life with his wife. He spends his time painting, riding horses to stay fit, and planting wheat. The two lovers still dress impeccably and look great despite being in their older years.
