Chuck Connors, ‘The Rifleman’ star, died after a lifetime of smoking
Chuck Connors, the professional sportsman turned actor, smoked three packs of Camel cigarettes a day and died at the age of 71.
Actor who played the role of frontiersman Lucas McCain on The Rifleman, a role that severely typecast him for other TV roles.
He married and divorced twice before marrying Elizabeth Riddell in 1948. He had four sons: Jeff, Kevin, Steve, and Mike.
How did Chuck Connors die?
Connors started smoking heavily in 1940. He smoked three packs of Camel cigarettes a day until he quit in the mid-1970s, though he occasionally smoked afterward, claiming to limit himself to one cigarette a day.
On November 10, 1992, he died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 71 of pneumonia stemming from lung cancer. At the time of his death, his companion was Rose Mary Grumley.
Where is Chuck Conner buried?
He is buried in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Decorating the corners of his tombstone is a photo of Connors as Lucas McCain in “The Rifleman,” as well as logos from the three professional sports teams he played for: the Dodgers, Cubs, and Celtics.
Quotes
""If you're ever being typecasted - as most of us are - that's a great way to be typecasted. So, 'The Rifleman' is still popular with a lot of people, and I'm proud to be associated."
""I owe baseball all that I have and much of what I hope to have. Baseball made my entrance to the film industry immeasurably easier than I could have made it alone. To the greatest game in the world I shall be eternally in debt."
""I wasn't a bad basketball player, but I was far from the world's greatest. Good defense, no offense - that was me."
""The day I left baseball, I became smart. When I was in baseball, I played for the love of the game. I'd sign any contract they gave me. But then I stopped playing and began doing interviews with the players at the ball park. I began to see the light."
""I can never get rid of 'The Rifleman,' and I don't want to. It's a good image."