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Bonanza actor Pernell Roberts dies at 81
by Samia Sehgal - January 26, 2010 - comments
Roberts had been on ‘Bonanza’ since the very beginning of the show in 1959. He earned plenty of commendation and many fans as he stayed on the hit series for several years.
Malibu, January 26 -- Pernell Roberts Jr. of the ‘Bonanza’ fame has died, bringing the original family of the show to an end. He was 81.
Roberts died at his Malibu home on Sunday, said his wife Eleanor Criswell.
His lawyer Richard A. Stone, who was also a friend of the actor, said that he had been suffering from cancer.
Roberts was best known for playing Adam Catwright, the thoughtful eldest son of wealthy rancher Ben Cartwright on the hit TV western ‘Bonanza’. Also, he won much acclaim for playing the role of the chief surgeon Dr. John MacIntyre, the title character on Trapper John, M.D.
Bonanza and beyond
Roberts had been on ‘Bonanza’ since the very beginning of the show in 1959. He earned plenty of commendation and many fans as he stayed on the hit series for several years. However, following a feud with the producers, he left the show after the sixth season in 1965. Reportedly, he was displeased with the development of his character.
The actor, known to be loud, went on to label the show as “Junk TV,” and accused NBC, the network that broadcast it, of “perpetuating banality and contributing to the dehumanization of the industry.”
Though some people claimed that leaving ‘Bonanza’ would mean the end of his career for Roberts, he continued to do guest roles on various TV shows, like The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O and many others.
However, he could not find his previous stardom until the early 1980s, when he starred in the television series Trapper John, M.D. (1979-86).
Personal life of Pernell Roberts
Born in Waycross, Ga., on May 18, 1928 Pernell Elven Roberts Jr. used to sing in local USO shows during his high school days. He briefly attended Georgia Tech, but dropped out to spend two years in the United States Marine Corps.
He also attended the University of Maryland, where he was intrigued by acting, and then moved to New York City in 1952, kicking off his acting career in off-Broadway and Broadway theatre. From there, he bagged several guest-roles and proceeded in his career.
Roberts had married and divorced three ladies before tying the knot with Eleanor Criswell. His only child was a boy, Jonathan Christopher Roberts, he had with his first wife. Jonathan Roberts passed away in a motorcycle accident in 1989 at the age of 38.