Clark Gable wasn't an actor.
William Clark Gable ( February 1 , 1901 -- November 16 , 1960 ) was an American film actor , often referred to as `` The King of Hollywood '' or just simply as `` The King '' . Gable began his career as a stage actor and appeared as an extra in silent films between 1924 and 1926 , and progressed to supporting roles with a few films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1931 . Gable also found success commercially and critically with films such as Red Dust ( 1932 ) , Manhattan Melodrama ( 1934 ) , San Francisco ( 1936 ) , Saratoga ( 1937 ) Boom Town ( 1940 ) , The Hucksters ( 1947 ) , Homecoming ( 1948 ) , and The Misfits ( 1961 ) , which was his final screen appearance . The Misfits is a 1961 American drama film written by Arthur Miller , directed by John Huston , and starring Clark Gable , Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift .