Donald Mounger Collier (October 17, 1928 – September 13, 2021) was an American actor best known for

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

films and

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

television shows such as ''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions in ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

,'' ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', and ''Outlaws'' as Marshal Will Foreman.

Early years

Collier was born on October 17, 1928, in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

. He worked as a geologist, a logging hand, a ranch hand, and a surveyor and served in both the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

and the Merchant Marine. After his naval service, Collier worked as an extra in a few films before attending Hardin–Simmons College on an athletic scholarship. He did not return to school after his freshman year, but he later studied geology at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

Career

For about three years, Collier enhanced his acting skills through work with a drama group headed by

Estelle Harman Estelle Harman (September 11, 1922 – April 30, 1995) was an American acting coach in Los Angeles. Biography Harman began as an acting instructor at UCLA in the 1950s, then was hired by Universal Studios as Head of Talent to groom their st ...

. He found favor with directors and producers because his ranch-hand background enabled him to do his own fighting and riding. On television, Collier portrayed Sam Butler in ''

'', deputy Will Foreman in ''Outlaws'', and William Tompkins in ''

The Young Riders ''The Young Riders'' is an American western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders (some of whom are young versions of legendary figures in Old West history) based at ...

''. He also appeared in the miniseries ''

The Winds of War ''The Winds of War'' is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II (the first being ''The Caine Mutiny''). Published in 1971, ''The Winds of War'' was followed up seven years later by ''War and Remembrance''; originally conceived as one volume, ...

'' and ''

War and Remembrance ''War and Remembrance'' is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in October 1978 as the sequel to Wouk's ''The Winds of War'' (1971). ''The Winds of War'' covers the period 1939 to 1941, and ''War and Remembrance'' continues the story of the extended ...

''. His films included ''

El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...

'', '' Tombstone'', ''

The War Wagon ''The War Wagon'' is a 1967 American Western (genre), Western heist film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. Released by Universal Pictures, it was produced by Marvin John Schwartz, Marvin Schwartz and adapted by ...

'', and '' The Undefeated''. In the 1970s, Collier began making television commercials, including one for

Hubba Bubba Hubba Bubba is a brand of bubble gum produced by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. Introduced in the United States in 1979, the bubble gum got its name from the phrase "Hubba Hubba", which some military personnel in Wo ...

bubble gum that had him portraying the Gum Fighter for eight years. In addition to his work in the United States, he made commercials in Australia. Later in his career, Collier narrated '' The Desert Speaks'', a series of documentaries for the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

, appeared at Western festivals, and presented the one-man stage performance ''Confessions of an Acting Cowboy''. The DVD ''Don Collier: Confessions of An Acting Cowboy'' was released in 2020.

Personal life and death

Collier's marriage to Holly Hire, a casting director, ended with her death in 2012. He had four children. He died from lung cancer in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, on September 13, 2021, at the age of 92.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Collier, Don 1928 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from California Male Western (genre) film actors Western (genre) television actors Male actors from Santa Monica, California Deaths from lung cancer in Kentucky Military personnel from California