Before ‘Jaws,’ Richard Dreyfuss Guest-Starred in ‘Gunsmoke’

Before he became an Academy Award-winning actor known for his epic roles in cinema masterpieces like American Graffiti, Jaws, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Richard Dreyfuss was just like every other Hollywood hopeful trying to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry, taking on roles both big and small to get his foot in the door. Before skyrocketing to prominence in the ’70s, Dreyfuss began his career in TV and made appearances in popular shows like Bewitched, The Mod Squad, and The Ghost & Mrs. Muir.

In 1973, the leading man guest-starred in an episode of the acclaimed Western Gunsmoke, popping up in season 28 of the long-running series and showcasing his depth and range as an actor early on. That same year, Dreyfuss would go on to headline George Lucas’ trailblazing hit American Graffiti, launching him to superstardom and paving the way for the rest of his career. Let’s take a look back at his appearance in the thrilling Western staple.

Dreyfuss Delivers a Compelling Performance in ‘Gunsmoke’

Many young and hungry actors in Hollywood often take to the world of television in hopes of gaining exposure before eventually making their way to the silver screen, and Richard Dreyfuss was no exception. By 1973, the up-and-coming performer had appeared in a slew of shows including Bewitched, The Big Valley, and The Mod Squad and had minor roles in the movies The Young Runaways and Hello Down There, but was still searching for his big break (which would ultimately come later that year in the aforementioned George Lucas classic).

Before American Graffiti dominated the cinema and garnered both critical acclaim and five Academy Award nominations, Dreyfuss made a memorable appearance in the groundbreaking Western series Gunsmoke, which was in its 18th season by the time the actor guest-starred. In the standout episode “This Golden Land,” Dreyfuss portrayed Gearshon Gorofsky, who becomes swept up in a bitter family feud and has his Russian-Jewish faith tested after his brother is senselessly murdered following an altercation with a neighboring farm family.

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Dreyfuss’ pivotal role in the episode truly helped carry the engrossing storyline, as the fiery Gearshon butts heads with his father Moshe (Paul Stevens) over his lack of action and failure to hold the man responsible for the crime due to his religious principles. He was just 25 years old when the episode aired on March 5, 1973, giving audiences a taste of what was to come in his enduring career while demonstrating his stellar acting chops. “This Golden Land” served as the season finale and has been retrospectively well-received by viewers, as it currently holds a solid 7.3 IMDb rating by users.

Hollywood Comes Calling for the Talented Dreyfuss

1973 became a crucial year for Dreyfuss and became a major turning point in his blossoming acting career, as just five short months later, he starred as Curt Henderson in the coming-of-age dramedy American Graffiti, a performance that earned him critical adoration and a Golden Globe nod. The recipient of five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, the cinema knockout truly put Dreyfuss on the Hollywood map and helped spark a massive wave of ’50s and ’60s nostalgia on the big screen and in American pop culture.

Dreyfuss followed up the acclaimed hit with the lead role in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, which took home the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and further established him as a certified leading man. Two years after Gunsmoke​​​​​​, in 1975, he headlined Steven Spielberg’s iconic thriller masterpiece Jaws, in which he appeared opposite Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw as Matt Hooper, a marine biologist who sets out to hunt down a terrifying great-white shark terrorizing beachgoers in a New England coastal town.

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Hailed as a major landmark moment in the film industry, Jaws became the first summer blockbuster sensation and was briefly the highest-grossing movie of all time for two years until it was surpassed by Star Wars, raking in over $477 million and garnering universal acclaim. Jaws also helped lay the foundation for subsequent horror flicks and inspired a slew of man-eating monster movies in the ensuing years, like Alligator and Piranha. The celebrated classic also instilled terror into the hearts of audiences all around the world as they feared going into the water, all thanks to two heart-racing musical notes.

Dreyfuss found further success in the ensuing years, starring in one triumph after another in films including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl (which earned him an Oscar), Stand By Me, What About Bob?, and Mr. Holland’s Opus (among countless others). At 77, the illustrious actor remains a staple in Hollywood and most recently appeared in the sports drama Sweetwater in 2022 and returned to his thriller roots with the shark-themed film Into the Deep. Dreyfuss’s next movie is the biographical drama Waltzing with Brando, which is set to debut in September 2025.

Stream Gunsmoke on Peacock.

Gunsmoke

Release Date

1955 – 1974

Directors

Andrew V. McLaglen, Harry Harris, Ted Post, Bernard McEveety, Vincent McEveety

Writers

John Meston, Charles Marquis Warren, Paul Savage

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  James Arness

  Marshal Matt Dillon

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