On this date in 1848, Nicholas Porter Earp and Virginia Ann Cooksey welcomed their son Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp into the world in the humble town of Monmouth, Illinois. Though many of his occupations (farmer, gambler, buffalo hunter, teamster) were less than thrilling, Earp entered the national Wild West iconography when he participated in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Most, but not all, of these Top 9 Portrayals of Wyatt Earp.

Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp in My Darling Clementine (1946)

John Ford’s moody Western builds towards the famed gunfight.

Joel McRea as Wyatt Earp in Wichita (1955)

Something of a Wyatt Earp origin story, this film from B-movie auteur Jacques Tourneur (Cat People, Out of the Past) chronicles his first law enforcement job.

Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Possibly the best O.K. Corral-era Earp portrayal, Lancaster plays him as a man whose confidence in the rule of law has slowly disintegrated until vigilante justice is the only remaining recourse.

James Stewart as Wyatt Earp in Cheyenne Autumn (1964)

John Ford, now with three more Oscars in his trailer introduction, tells the Earp story again with more of everything. Except his Earp, relatively wimpy James Stewart.

Ron Soble as Wyatt Earp in the Star Trek episode “Spectre of the Gun” (1968)

Star Trek is about civilizing the wild expanses of space, so of course the crew of the Enterprise is going to visit Earp for some advice.

Peter Fonda as Wyatt in Easy Rider (1969)

Following in daddy’s footsteps (see first entry), the younger Fonda updates Earp for the 60s.

James Garner as Wyatt Earp in Sunset (1988)

Pre-Die Hard Bruce Willis (ironically, playing an actor) and Garner’s Earp (a film consultant in the year of his death) solve a murder mystery at the 1929 Oscars.

Kurt Russel as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone (1993)

Russel portrays Earp the star, trying to retire quietly despite his reputation preceding him.

Kevin Costner as Wyatt Earp in Wyatt Earp (1994)

Costner (poor Kevin Costner) portrays Earp as a man torn between the worlds of Western and family melodrama.

Gale Harold as Wyatt Earp on Deadwood (2006)

Earp moves into the 21st century in this swearing, heavy drinking incarnation. Happy 161st birthday Wyatt!