Pernell Roberts Jr. was another actor and singer who had a role on “Bonanza”. He was the character Adam Cartwright, who was also the eldest son of the family. He left the cast of “Bonanza” after 6 years to pursue other opportunities. After leaving the show, he appeared on tons of other shows. Bonanza was not his only claim to fame. Pernell also had roles in over 60 TV shows! And, he also dabbled in theater.
In 1990, Pernell retired. Sadly, he died at the age of 81, in 2010, from cancer, but left behind a long and impressive career.
Michael Landon Wasn't The Actor's Real Name
Many actors, when joining The Screen Actors Guild, also known as the acting union, must choose stage names if their given name is already taken. Michael Landon was actually born Eugene Maurice Orowitz. However, he did not want to use that as his stage name. When he joined the union, he wanted to go by Michael Lane. However, to his dismay, that name was already taken. He had to start thinking of a new name.
He decided to browse through the phone book. He came across a name that he liked, Alf Landon. Shortly after, the name Michael Landon was chosen.
A Cast Of Many Talents
The actors in “Bonanza” were all very talented. They were all, of course, talented actors, but did you know that these actors could sing well, too? Four of the actors in the Cartwright family were singers on the Christmas album released in 1964. Additionally, not only were the cast members musically talented, the theme song for the show “Bonanza” also became a hit song!
Lorne Greene had even more success as a musician aside from the Christmas album. He released his own single, entitled “Ringo”. This single became a massive hit in both the United States and his homeland, Canada.
Pernell Roberts Wasn't A Fan Of The Show
We had mentioned earlier that Pernell Roberts left “Bonanza” after only six years. This definitely was a surprise to fans, since when he left the show in 1965, Bonanza was one of the top-rated shows. Everyone wondered why he would have left such a seemingly great experience.
Only the producers and crew knew the truth. Pernell had political differences with the show and his disrespect for the writing in the show caused him to leave. In fact, people were surprised he did not leave earlier, as his views we're known from the beginning. He had stated he left the show because he had to take care of his emotional well-being, and that the set was an unpleasant place to be.
The Bonanza Restaurant Chains
“Bonanza” star Dan Blocker took his “Bonanza” fame to the next level. He used his notoriety from the show to open “Bonanza” inspired buffet restaurant chains, such as the Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse.
He opened the very first Bonanza Steakhouse in 1965. It was located in Kokomo, Indiana. In 1971, the restaurant chain grew and even made it to Canada! At first, Bonanza Steakhouse and Ponderosa Steakhouse were actually different companies, so there could be both in any region. The companies later merged together, and now they are both owned and operated by the Metromedia Restaurant Group.