Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp's real and imaginary adventures have thrilled several generations of fans. Thanks to Stuart Lakes' fictional biography. Wyatt remains a controversial figure. The real man was a toudh, desive and shrewd individual, but considered by some to be a "cold fish" devoid of any warmth. His career as a gunfighter was short. He later engaged in the saloon business: he died in 1929.