Sam O'Brien co-starred in the 1972 John Wayne vehicle, The Cowboys (1972) with his real-life brother, Clay O'Brien. (Sam played "Jimmy Phillips" to Clay's "Hardy Fimps".) Clay, at 6 foot tall, stands a good head taller than his brother. Sam retired from acting at an early age. As a grown-up, Sam served his country by becoming an Army helicopter pilot, achieving the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4. (CW4) Sam was married to Patricia Stevens until her untimely death from cancer in 2001. The couple have two children, Seth and Samantha. Samantha is still in High School, while Seth has made his father a proud grandpa. Sam goes by the surname of Bass these days and is still active in the world of horses and cowboys.