Don Collier has made over seventy
credited movie and television appearances. He has performed with John
Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Anthony Quinn, Dean Martin, Tom Selleck, James
Arness and even Elvis. His first role was as an extra in 1948 in the
western Massacre River. This was followed by two more westerns –
Davy
Crockett, Indian Scout and
Fort Apache with John Wayne. Don
later appeared in three more John Wayne movies.
In 1959 Don won the leading role of U.S. Deputy Marshal Will
Foreman in the NBC series, Outlaws. Starring with Don was Barton
MacLane and Jock Gaynor. The second season of Outlaws found Will Foreman
as a full-fledged Marshal.
Don kept busy appearing on all the other western TV shows, such as
Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Wagon
Train, Branded, Death Valley Days.
In 1968 he was cast as the foreman of the ranch
The High Chaparral in David Dortort's latest western series of the same name.
Working alongside a extremely talented and experienced cast, Don's
portrayal of Sam Butler was fundamental to the success of the highly
acclaimed show, which ran until 1971.
But he wasn't yet done with the old west. Even his commercials took
advantage of his cowboy persona, when he became an 80's icon as The Gum
Fighter for Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum. More movies and TV kept him busy.
Then he went further back in time when he was called on play the
recurring role of William Tompkins in
The Young Riders
(1989-1992).
Don continued to guest star on TV in and out of the west in Little House
in the Prairie, two made-for-TV
Gunsmoke movies, a made-for-TV
Bonanza movie,
Banaceck,
The Waltons, Highway to Heaven
and such big-screen movies as Tombstone.
He is currently sidekick to Fred Imus on Sirius Radio's
Outlaw Country
show, Fred's Trailer Park Bash,
and is the spokesman for Arbuckle's
Coffee. |
