Faydean Taylor Tharp: Dub Taylor’s Daughter Who Chose Privacy

She was born into one of Hollywood’s most recognizable western-acting families — yet almost nobody knows her name. Faydean Taylor Tharp spent 70 years living entirely on her own terms, far from cameras and press. Here’s everything publicly known about her life.

Who Was Faydean Taylor Tharp?

Faydean Taylor Tharp was born on September 2, 1931 in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Walter Clarence “Dub” Taylor — the well-known western character actor — and Florence Gertrude Heffernan. She was the older of two children, with her brother Buck Taylor coming along a few years later.

Unlike her father and brother, Faydean never entered the entertainment business. No film credits, no TV appearances, no public statements. She was known to those who’d heard of her simply as Dub Taylor’s daughter — and she seems to have been entirely fine with that.

Census records from 1940 and 1950 confirm her presence in Los Angeles County. According to Find a Grave and WikiTree genealogy records, she passed away on July 15, 2002 in California at the age of 70.

Her Father — Dub Taylor, the Western Screen Legend

To understand Faydean’s connection to Hollywood, you have to start with her father. Dub Taylor — born Walter Clarence Taylor Jr. on February 26, 1907 in Richmond, Virginia — became one of the most recognizable character actors in American westerns from the 1940s right through to the 1990s.

Dub Taylor’s Career in Brief

His career started in 1938 when Frank Capra cast him in You Can’t Take It with You — specifically because the role needed someone who could play the xylophone. From there he built a long career in sidekick and comic-relief roles across dozens of western films and TV shows.

• Film debut alongside James Stewart in a Frank Capra production (1938)
• Played the recurring “Cannonball” character across multiple western film series
• Appeared in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
• Guest-starred on Gunsmoke multiple times alongside his son Buck
• Kept acting well into his 80s before passing away on October 3, 1994

Dub was particularly close to Faydean’s son, Walter Tac Tharp — his grandson. That relationship between grandfather and grandson says a lot about the tight-knit family Faydean quietly maintained throughout her life.

Her Brother — Buck Taylor of Gunsmoke Fame

Faydean’s younger brother Buck Taylor followed their father into acting and built a solid career of his own. He’s best remembered for playing Deputy Newly O’Brien on Gunsmoke for eight years — one of the longest-running westerns in American television history.

Buck and Dub even worked together on screen. They appeared alongside Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross in the 1991 TNT film Conagher — a genuine Taylor family production. Beyond acting, Buck also became a respected Western painter later in life.

Faydean’s relationship with her brother was reportedly close, though she stayed completely out of any public aspects of his career. No photos, no interviews, no mention of her name in the entertainment press.

Faydean’s Personal Life and Family

This is where the public record runs dry. Faydean kept her personal life locked down in a way that’s unusual even for someone deliberately avoiding fame. There’s no confirmed information about who she married, when, or whether the marriage lasted.

Her Son — Walter Tac Tharp

What is known is that she had one son: Walter Tac Tharp. He grew up to work as a licensed real estate salesperson — a career firmly outside Hollywood. The identity of Walter’s father was never publicly confirmed, and Faydean never addressed it in any recorded statement.

• Son’s name: Walter Tac Tharp
• Profession: Licensed real estate salesperson
• Grandfather connection: Dub Taylor was particularly close to Walter
• Father’s identity: Never publicly confirmed

She protected her family’s privacy carefully for decades, and it remains protected today.

Why She Stayed Out of the Spotlight

There’s no public statement from Faydean explaining her choices. What we can observe is a consistent pattern across her entire life: no interviews, no industry events, no attempt to use her family name for any personal gain.

This wasn’t passivity. It was an active choice, maintained over decades, while her father kept working into his 80s and her brother continued building a public career. Faydean simply built a quiet life in California and left almost no media footprint behind.

Her story is a reminder that for every person in a famous family who chases the cameras, there’s often someone else who just doesn’t want them. That’s not a failure of ambition — it’s a different set of values.

Faydean Taylor Tharp’s Death and Legacy

Faydean passed away on July 15, 2002 in California at age 70, according to her Find a Grave memorial (ID: 216324921). She outlived her father Dub Taylor, who died in 1994, by eight years.

There’s no filmography, no published work, no headline achievements on record. But she raised a son who built his own independent career, maintained a loving relationship with her father until his death, and kept her privacy intact for seven decades — something most people connected to Hollywood fame can’t manage for seven months.

Her Find a Grave memorial was created in October 2020 and has been viewed over 370 times, which tells you people are genuinely curious about who she was.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Faydean Taylor Tharp?

Faydean Taylor Tharp (1931–2002) was the daughter of western character actor Dub Taylor and the sister of Gunsmoke star Buck Taylor. She was born in Los Angeles and lived privately in California her entire life, never pursuing a career in entertainment.

When was Faydean Taylor Tharp born and when did she die?

She was born on September 2, 1931 in Los Angeles, California and died on July 15, 2002 at the age of 70.

Who were Faydean Taylor Tharp’s parents?

Her father was Dub Taylor (born Walter Clarence Taylor Jr.), a celebrated Hollywood character actor. Her mother was Florence Gertrude Heffernan.

Did Faydean Taylor Tharp have any children?

Yes. She had one son named Walter Tac Tharp, who works as a licensed real estate salesperson. The identity of his father has never been publicly confirmed.

Was Faydean Taylor Tharp an actress?

No. Despite growing up in a prominent Hollywood family, she never pursued acting or any other public-facing career in the entertainment industry.

Who is Buck Taylor in relation to Faydean?

Buck Taylor is Faydean’s younger brother. He played Deputy Newly O’Brien on Gunsmoke for eight years and is also known as a Western painter.