Darrell Hugh Winfield, long-serving Marlboro Man, dies at 85

RIVERTON, Wyo., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Darrell Hugh Winfield, a Wyoming rancher whose rugged American Cowboy looks landed him the job as the Marlboro Man, died Monday, his family said. He was 85.

Winfield died of an unspecified lengthy illness while in hospice care in his home in Riverton.

Winfield was working on the Quarter Circle 5 Ranch in Pinedale, Wyo., in 1968 when he was discovered by Philip Morris Advertising and chosen to be the Marlboro Man. He held the position for more than two decades.

His image was used on billboards, signs, advertisements and other promotional materials to advertise the cigarettes from 1968 to 1989. The iconic character, played by numerous actors and authentic ranchers over the years, was first used in Marlboro advertisements in 1949.