Paul Fix had no issue with being a secondary character. Fix shone in smaller film roles like Judge Taylor in the 1962 film, To Kill a Mockingbird. Fix was also a constant in plenty of Western films. However, Fix made a name for himself in television when he was cast as Marshal Micah Torrance in The Rifleman.

“The change to TV was nothing frightening,” Fix said during an interview with The Patriot-News. “Here we are back again, making quickie Westerns. We made them in the early ‘30s with John Wayne in five days. It was helter-skelter. Now we make a Rifleman show in three days.”

As the series revolved around Lucas McCain, played by Chuck Connors, Fix wasn’t considered a prominent character in the series.

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However, that didn’t mean that his role was any less important, as the actor explained. Fix was prepared to play the character of Micah Torrance to the best of his abilities.

“It’s a natural thing for people to think I would be frustrated with my role on TV,” Fix said. “But there’s not enough ham in me for me to feel frustrated. I don’t care if I don’t get the hero role, just as long as old Micah maintains his dignity.”

Moreover, like any good actor, Fix dedicated a great deal of time and energy into developing his character.

“I watch the role carefully,” Fix said. “People have respect for the man and the badge. I won’t be a clown or a laughing-stock in the part.”