Facts About Ben Johnson

He was one of the most believable Hollywood cowboys.

Creative Commons: sludgegulper

I mentioned that Ben Johnson was one of Hollywood’s most believable Cowboys. Well, there is a reason for that. He’s actually an Oklahoma cowboy who went to Hollywood. Ben was a rodeo champion as a teenager who started his Hollywood career as a horse wrangler, then worked his way up to stuntman and actor.

In looking through is credits, I was shocked at the number of bigtime movies Johns appeared in. One of his early memorable roles is the bad guy converted to good guy Chris, in the classic movie, “Shane.” Though it’s not one of my favorites, Johnson won an Acadamy Award for his portrayal of Sam the Lion in “The Last Picture Show.” The list goes on and on. Now, here are some things you might not have known about Ben Johnson.

1: Ben doubled for some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Gary Cooper, James Stewart and John Wayne.

If you look at his body of work, early on he went by the screen name, “Uncredited.”

2: Johnson married Carol Elaine Jones in 1941 and the marriage lasted until her death on March 27, 1994.