The credits for Tombstone list a Wyatt Earp III in the cast. What is his relationship to the original Wyatt?

The credits for Tombstone list a Wyatt Earp III in the cast.  What is his relationship to the original Wyatt?

Bill Diamond
Windham, Maine

Glen Wyatt Earp III, cast in 1993’s Tombstone as Billy Claiborne, is the fifth cousin of the Old West legend.

None of the fighting Earps-—Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan and Warren—had sons, so no direct descendants bear the name Earp. An older half-brother Newton, however, did have sons. Apparently Wyatt III comes from his line, as does Wyatt Earp, an actor who has made a career of portraying not only Wyatt on stage, but also Wyatt’s O.K. Corral gunfighting partner, Doc Holliday.

Wyatt Earp III is a big, strapping man who says his name has hindered rather than helped his career in Hollywood.

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Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s official historian. His latest book is Wyatt Earp: Showdown at Tombstone.  If you have a question, write:  Ask the Marshall, P.O. Box 8008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327 or e-mail him at marshall.trimble@scottsdalecc.edu