From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. William Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor, best known for his work in television, including roles on Gunsmoke, as Marshal Sam McCloud on the NBC police drama McCloud, and the 1971 TV movie Duel. Description above from the Wikipedia article Dennis Weaver, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.