Maverick (TV Series) - Supporting Players and Recurring Roles

Supporting Players and Recurring Roles

• Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Dandy Jim Buckley, a sophisticated con artist, who at times was both friend and foe to Bret but maintained a markedly warmer friendship with Bart.

• Diane Brewster as Samantha Crawford, a con woman who managed to dupe Bret and Bart out of large sums, but not without having a little romance with each brother first. Brewster originated the role of Crawford on Cheyenne before Maverick went on the air. "Samantha Crawford" was the maiden name of series creator Roy Huggins' mother.

• Richard Long as Gentleman Jack Darby. Gentleman Jack was intended to be the friendly rival opposing Bart that Dandy Jim's character was for Bret, and was created after Zimbalist had been cast in 77 Sunset Strip and was no longer available for lengthy appearances; Long later joined the cast of 77 Sunset Strip himself. All four (Bret, Bart, Dandy Jim, and Gentleman Jack) appeared in the episode "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres."

• Arlene Howell as Cindy Lou Brown, another beautiful con woman whom Bart and Gentleman Jack fought over.

• Leo Gordon as Big Mike McComb, Bret and Bart's Irish friend who aided them on several adventures. Gordon, also a screenwriter, would later script some episodes of the series.

• Gerald Mohr and Peter Breck as Doc Holliday. Mohr originally played the role in season one as a ruthless killer. However, in seasons four and five, Breck portrayed Holliday as more of a lovable rogue who was always getting Bart in trouble with his scams.

• Kathleen Crowley as Modesty Blaine, Melanie Blake, and Marie, leading ladies with repeated appearances in various seasons. Mona Freeman played Modesty Blaine twice while Crowley played the role once.

• John Dehner and Andrew Duggan each played gangster Big Ed Murphy once, among other roles in the series.

• Mike Road played gambler Pearly Gates twice during the final season.

Some performers, such as Kathleen Crowley, Tol Avery, Gage Clarke, and Chubby Johnson, appeared seven or eight times over the course of the series in various roles. A very young Joel Grey played Billy the Kid in an unusual episode that featured a bravura pistol-twirling exhibition by Garner. A chubby, acne-scarred Robert Redford joined Kelly on a desperate cattle drive in "The Iron Hand". Stacy Keach, Sr. played a sheriff in "Ghost Rider". Clint Eastwood, Slim Pickens, Lee Van Cleef, John Carradine, Buddy Ebsen, Hans Conried, Alan Hale, Jr., Jim Backus, George Kennedy, John Gavin, Mike Connors, Chad Everett, Patric Knowles, and Adam West appeared at least once during the run of the series. Actresses included subsequent Oscar-winners Ellen Burstyn and Louise Fletcher, as well as Mala Powers, Coleen Gray, Ruta Lee, Marie Windsor, Abby Dalton, Karen Steele, Dawn Wells, Connie Stevens, Merry Anders, Sherry Jackson, and Adele Mara.

The program's stentorian-voiced announcer ("Maverick! Starring Jack Kelly and Robert Colbert!") was character actor Ed Reimers.