Dennis Weaver, the actor who played deputy Chester Goode in the classic TV western "Gunsmoke" and a cowboy cop in "McCloud", two television favorites, has died at the age of 81.

Weaver was suffering from cancer and died on February 24 at his home in Ridgway, Colorado, his publicist Julian Myers said. Weaver won an Emmy in 1959 as the sidekick to Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness, in "Gunsmoke". He played more than 100 roles in his 53-year acting career, including the part of Henry Ritter in the "Wildfire" television series in 2005.

Weaver made his Broadway debut in "Come Back, Little Sheba," in 1950, before signing with Universal Studios. He appeared two years later as Dandy Taylor in the 1952 version of "Horizons West." He also starred in the 1971 TV classic "Duel", directed by the then-unknown Steven Spielberg.

Weaver received two Emmy nominations for his portrayal of U.S. Marshal Sam McCloud in the TV series that aired from 1970 to 1977. He also was the voice of Buck McCoy in "The Simpsons" 2002 western-themed episode.

In 2003, he starred in a documentary of his "Drive to Survive," a caravan of alternative-fueled vehicles that traveled from Santa Monica, California, to Washington, D.C. The trip was to promote his nonprofit Institute of Ecolonomics, a word Weaver made up by combining ecology and economics. He and his wife Gerry founded the organization in 1993 to save the planet from pollution.

Weaver is survived by his 60-years-old wife, Gerry Stowell, by his three sons: Rick, who was the producer of "Magnum P.I.", Robby, who acted in "The Greatest American Hero" and Rusty, who was a musician with the "Rockodiles", and by three grandchildren.

A memorial service will be soon announced.