Hi there folks,

My name is Hugh O'Brian.  WELCOME to this little corner of my site about how I became known as the Legendary Lawman and Western Folk Art Hero , Wyatt Earp.

I guess it was my destiny to become some kind of law enforcer from a real early age.

When I was just 17 years old I enlisted in the Marines and became the youngest drill instructor in the history of the Corps!  Let me tell you, some of those guys were tough as nails and I was the one that had to whip 'em into shape.  I learned early on that without strict discipline and following the rules, you could lose control of your troops quickly.  You had to be tough...smart... and fast to weed out the "law-breakers" and malcontents - or you risked paying the ultimate price in battle!

The discipline and respect for authority bred in me by my wonderful parents and my four year hitch in the Marine Corps translated into a pretty successful Hollywood career through the 50's.  I was a no-nonsense professional - when a movie or TV director or producer needed someone to get the job done, I was there on time, well rehearsed and most of all, on budget!  (I also attended school at both UCLA and Los Angeles City College while pursuing my acting career!)

Then in 1954, all the hard work paid off - big time.  The network biggies at ABC wanted to do a the first ever 'adult western' in TV series history - "The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp".  For the lead role of Wyatt Earp they needed someone that could not only pull off the acting job - but who would be there day after day to grind out the episodes on time.  The results speak for themselves.

The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp was a smash hit.  After its debut in the fall of 1955, it went on to become the #1 Top Rated TV Show in the World.  During its seven year run, "Wyatt Earp" was always rated in the Top 5 shows of Prime Time.  Perhaps more importantly, "Wyatt Earp" paved the way for such successful shows as "Bonanza", "Paladin", "The Big Valley", "Rawhide" and "Cheyenne"

Even after the end of the Wyatt Earp series in 1962 ( while I loved being Wyatt Earp, I found an even greater passion in working with and developing the Youth of America - www.hoby.org  Hollywood still wouldn't let the Legend of the Famous Lawman go away.

Good Ole Wyatt has had some return engagements in the past few years.  Notably n Kenny Roger's "Gambler IV - The Luck of the Draw: The Gambler Returns" as well as my most recent film project "Wyatt Earp: return to Tombstone" which was the top rated "Movie of the Week" on TV.