Rayford Barnes

Who was Rayford Barnes?

Rayford Barnes was an American film and TV character actor from Whitesboro, Texas who appeared in films, mainly westerns, such as Hondo, The Young Guns, The Burning Hills, The Wild Bunch, Fort Massacre, and Cahill U.S. Marshal. He also appeared in the 1955 comedy Bowery to Bagdad.

Barnes also appeared on dozens of TV series most notably The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp in which he portrayed Ike Clanton. Other series he appeared on include Father Knows Best, Highway Patrol, The Untouchables, Maverick, Have Gun - Will Travel, The Twilight Zone, The Big Valley, Daniel Boone, The High Chaparral, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Wonder Woman, Little House on the Prairie, Fantasy Island, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Walker, Texas Ranger. His final role was on the NBC medical drama ER in 1996.

Barnes lived in Santa Monica, California, with his long-time companion, Debbie. He often spoke about his movie making experiences with John Wayne, for whom he had great admiration. He had a younger brother, Lou Dupont, who was also an entertainer. Barnes died in Santa Monica, California on November 11, 2000 at age 80.