Royal Dano was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned four decades.  Born in New York, he purportedly ran away from home at the age of 12 and ever restless, lived in various places ranging from the east to west coast, including Florida, Texas and California.  Eventually, he made an agreement with his father to continue his education on the condition he would still have the freedom to travel.  Eventually, Dano attended New York University.  His performing career began as part of the 44th Special Service Provisional Company during World War II.  He soon branched out to the New York stage and made his Broadway debut with a small role in the hit musical "Finian's Rainbow."  Dano was nominated by the New York Critic's Circle as one of the Promising Actors of 1949.

Tall and lean with gaunt features, a thatch of dark hair, a rangy build and a distinctive deep croaky voice, Dano usually was cast both in movies and television shows as gloomy or sinister characters. &nsp;He appeared most often in westerns and worked several times with James Stewart and director Anthony Mann.  He made his film debut in "Undercover Girl" (1950).  Among his best-remembered supporting roles in the western genre were film appearances as a sickly bookworm bad guy in "Johnny Guitar," (1954), a cattle rustler in "The Culpepper Cattle Company" (1972), and Ten Spot in "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976).  He also made numerous television appearances, including the western series, "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Wagon Train," "The Virginian," and "Little House on the Prairie," among many others.  Dano also had memorable roles as Elijah in "Moby Dick" (1956) and President Abraham Lincoln, whom he portrayed several times in his career, including in the "Honest Abe" episode of THE RIFLEMAN.  Dano made five guest appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying different characters in each episode, including Frank Blandon in "The Sheridan Story" (episode 16), Jonas Epps in "A Matter of Faith" (episode 34), Aaron Wingate in "A Case of Identity" (episode 57), Abe in "Honest Abe" (episode 118), and Jamison in "Day of Reckoning" (episode 138).

Dano continued to work in film and television until his death at age 71, in 1994.  Some of his later work in television included guest spots in "Ben Casey," "Lost in Space," "Night Gallery," "Route 66," "Planet of the Apes," "Cannon," "Little House on the Prairie," "Kung Fu," "CHIPs," "Quincy M.E.," "Fantasy Island," "Twin Peaks," "Amazing Stories."  Among his more memorable later roles in films were his portrayals as a coroner in "Electra Glide in Blue" (1973), a profanity-spewing preacher in "Big Bad Mama" (1974), a minister in "The Right Stuff" (1983), a stuffy high school teacher in "Teachers" (1984), rascally zombified old-timer Gramps in "House II: The Second Story" (1987), a cantankerous farmer in "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" (1988), and in his last role, a cemetery caretaker in George Romero's "The Dark Half" (1993).

William "Billy" Hughes, born William Eugene Hughes, was an American actor who worked primarily in television.  Both his father Bill, Sr. and his uncle Whitey were stuntmen.  He appeared in 25 movies and television shows during a two-decade career, which began when he was barely ten playing an uncredited role in the Mickey Rooney crime comedy "The Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed" (1958).  He played the leading role as a runaway in the western "Ole Rex" (1961) and portrayed the oldest sibling Joe in a family of orphans in the Debbie Reynolds comedy "My Six Loves (1963).  Toward the end of his career, he had an uncredited stunt role in the Sam Peckinpah film "The Wild Bunch" (1969), and in his final film role, he appeared in the obscure western drama "Smoke in the Wind" (1975).

Hughes guest-starred in several popular television shows, including the family comedy "Leave It to Beaver" (1957–1963), the medical drama "Dr. Kildare" (1961–1966), Rod Serling's iconic anthology series "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964), the crime drama "Arrest and Trial" (1963–1964), the private detective series "77 Sunset Strip" (1958–1964) and the family drama "Lassie" (1954–1974).

As a young teenager, Hughes made three appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Aaron in "Day of Reckoning" (episode 71), Jeffrey Waller in "The Long Gun from Tuscon" (episode 121) and Gridley Maule in "The Sidewinder" (episode 158).  Reportedly, the part he played in "The Sidewinder" was one of his favorite roles.  He guest-starred in several other westerns, sometimes making multiple appearances, including "Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness; "Laramie" (1959–1963), starring John Smith and Robert Fuller; and "Wagon Train" (1957–1965), starring John McIntyre and Ward Bond.

L. Q. Jones, born Justus Ellis McQueen Jr., is an American film and television actor, as well as a director.  He has appeared in more than 150 movies and television shows during a career spanning 50 years.  He adopted his stage name from the first role he played in film and was a member of film director Sam Peckinpah's stock company of actors.  He directed the sci-fi cult classic "A Boy and His Dog" (1975), starring Don Johnson and Jason Robards.  In 2003, he was honored at the Silver Spur Awards.

Jones has had roles in several memorable films, including a minor part in the war drama "The Young Lions" (1958), starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift and Dean Martin; Supply Sgt. Frazer in the war drama "Hell Is for Heroes" (1962), starring Steve McQueen, Bobby Darin and Fess Parker; Loomis in the Ted Post western "Hang 'Em High" (1968), starring Clint Eastwood; Black Harris in the Sam Peckinpah western "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), starring James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson; Pat Webb in the Martin Scorsese classic "Casino" (1995), starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci; and Three-Fingered Jack in the action adventure film "The Mask of Zorro" (1998), starring Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins.  He guest-starred in many popular television shows, including the family drama "Lassie" (1954–1975), the road adventure "Route 66" (1960–1964), the legal drama "Perry Mason" (1957–1966), the western action adventure series "Kung Fu" (1972–1975) and the police drama "Adam-12" (1968–1975).

Jones made one appearance in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Charley Breen in "Day of Reckoning" (episode 138).  He guest-starred in many other westerns, including "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955–1961), starring Hugh O'Brian; "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957–1962), starring Dale Robertson; "Have Gun – Will Travel" (1957–1963), starring Richard Boone; "Wagon Train" (1957–1965), starring John McIntyre and Ward Bond; "Branded" (1965–1966), starring THE RIFLEMAN's Chuck Connors; "Rawhide" (1959–1966), starring Clint Eastwood; "The Big Valley" (1965–1969), starring Barbara Stanwyck; "The Virginian" (1962–1971), starring James Drury; and Gunsmoke" (1955–1975), starring James Arness.

Warren Oates was an American actor who began his acting career in 1957, starring in a live New York production of the television series "Studio One."  He moved to Los Angeles and appeared in numerous television western series.  Oates made four appearances in THE RIFLEMAN, portraying Andrew Shelton in "The Marshal" (episode 4), Jud Malackie in "Bloodlines" (episode 42), Santos in "The Prodigal" (episode 71), Marty Ryan in "Miss Milly" (episode 84), Will Breen in "Day of Reckoning" (episode 139).  He met Sam Peckinpah working on THE RIFLEMAN, which began a collaborative relationship on later film projects.  He was a prolific actor best-known for his roles in the Peckinpah classics, "The Wild Bunch" (1969) and "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" (1974).  His most critically acclaimed role was playing GTO in the 1971 Monte Hellman cult classic "Two-Lane Blacktop."  Oates passed away in 1983 and a decade later, in 1993, Tom Thurman produced a documentary tribute film honoring his career, "Warren Oates: Across the Border."