All good fiction has a bit of real life injected into it. Whether actors are recalling past memories during scenes or using lived experience to direct their portrayals, a good dose of reality is always a necessity in even the most fantastical stories.

While Gunsmoke viewers enjoyed some fairly far-flung plotlines throughout the show’s 20-year run, Milburn Stone was there every step of the way. Stone is best known for portraying Doc Adams, the wise (and sometimes crochety) doctor of Dodge City.

During an interview with The Daily Times-Advocate, Stone revealed that much of the series was based on reality.

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“The series was semi-documentary,” said the Gunsmoke actor. “All the geographic names, they were real and historical. Matt Dillon was set up to combine real characters like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Kitty supposedly was based on Big Nose Kate, owner of the Long Branch and reputed to be Doc Holliday’s girlfriend.”

Even Doc Adams had roots in real life. “Doc was written from real frontier physicians,” said Adams, “a couple of guys named Fabrique and McCarthy.”

But Stone himself also felt a responsibility to portray his character the way he saw fit. Although it sometimes put him at odds with those on set, Stone’s instinct was ultimately correct.

“But I created Doc Adams, heart and soul...during the tests, they said ‘Doc is this, Doc is supposed to be that.’ I’ll do my Doc, I told them, not your Doc.”