Ken Curtis knew he had hit the jackpot when he joined Gunsmoke. The TV series was already a proven hit, having grown out of a wildly successful radio series. In other words, he knew a good thing when he saw one.

In an interview with The Times Herald, Curtis said he was well aware of his good fortune. Gunsmoke combined a few of his favorite things: acting, TV Westerns, and getting paid to ride horses.

"I figure to stay with Gunsmoke as long as I can," Curtis said. "Any actor who leaves a show that has a part that’s made for him is foolish."

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While Curtis expressed an interest in returning to film later in his career, his immediate plans were clear: "My plans are to stay on Gunsmoke as long as they’ll have me."

There was only one thing Curtis wanted to change about Festus Haggen: He wanted the character to get into more fights.

In an interview with The Buffalo News, Curtis said he’d like to see Festus get physical every now and then.

"The banty rooster must fight and get whipped," Curtis said. "Fans like to see me fight, and they also like to see the sneaky side of Haggen. It’s an important part of the character."

So, what do you think? Would you have liked to see Festus get into more fistfights? While Curtis may never have gotten his wish, Festus’ character continued to develop throughout the series, becoming more mature along the way.

Curtis didn’t just play Festus; he seemed to slip right into the character. Putting on Festus’ dirty clothes was enough to make him feel like the character.

"The minute I get into those raunch clothes that Festus favors and I put on that moth-eaten old hat, my grammar goes to pot," Curtis said. "What happens, I begin to feel like Festus in those duds."

Festus may have been a little rough around the edges, but audiences clearly loved him. Curtis had found a character worth sticking around for, and Gunsmoke had another reason to keep riding high. And while Festus may not have gotten into as many fights as Curtis wanted, he still knew how to hold his own when the fists started flying.