What Happened to the Cast of 'Bonanza' After the Show?
'Bonanza'
When it comes to television Westerns, Bonanza truly defined an era. The series ran on NBC from 1959 to 1973, making it the second longest-running Western on American network television (after Gunsmoke).
The weekly show followed the exploits of the Cartwright family, which was led by father Ben (Lorne Greene), dad to three sons who were all born to different (and deceased) mothers. After being widowed for a third time, Cartwright heads west to start a new life.
Since Bonanza aired, most of the cast members have died. Here is what they did after the show, and where the cast of Bonanza is now.
Related: See the 'Family Ties' Cast Then and Now
Bonanza Cast
Lorne Greene (Ben Cartwright)
Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Greene starred in every single episode of Bonanza as Ben Cartwright, a former sailor who goes out west on his own. In a 1967 interview with reporter Bobbie Wygant, Greene admitted that he was ready for the show to end. After Wygant asked if he hoped the show would go on for another 8 years, Greene said, "No, I don't."
"I must be very frank. I think that when you have a long run (on television) on any kind of show, you get to the point where there are other things that you feel that you must do before it’s too late to do any of the things that you have in mind," he added.
After Bonanza's 14 seasons came to an end, Greene released a few country albums and then in 1978, jumped TV genres and joined the cast of the original Battlestar Galactica as Commander Adama.
He died on Sept. 11, 1987 at the age of 72 from complications from pneumonia.
Related: Giddy-Up for 18 of the Best TV and Movie Westerns of All Time
Pernell Roberts (Adam Cartwright)
Photo by NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Roberts played the oldest Cartwright son, Adam, from 1959 to 1965. He chose to leave the show due to creative differences.
Roberts told the Washington Post, "I was in the series for six years. I fought with the powers about the scripts, character development, and other things. It got so I was upset the minute I arrived for work. That’s no way to live. I don’t have the psychological stamina to last under artistic compromises over a prolonged period of time. I get hostile and vindictive. It wears me down."
Roberts went on to star on the M*A*S*H* spinoff, Trapper John, MD. He died in 2010 at the age of 81.
Dan Blocker (Eric "Hoss" Cartwright)
Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Blocker played Cartwright son Eric, who was better known as Hoss. Blocker died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism in 1972, at the age of 43. His character was killed off the show and his death had a major impact on the series, which lasted for one more season following his untimely departure.
Michael Landon (Little Joe Cartwright)
Photo by Screen Archives/Getty Images
Landon starred as the youngest Cartwright son, Little Joe. The role was a major one for the actor, who was in his early 20s when he was cast.
After the conclusion of Bonanza, Landon played Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie, and many audiences identified him with that role for the rest of his life. Still, for Bonanza fans, Landon was and always will be Little Joe.
He died of pancreatic cancer in 1991, at the age of 54.
Ray Teal (Sheriff Roy Coffee)
Photo by NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Teal was well-versed in the world of Westerns when he joined the cast of Bonanza. His credits include Colt .45, Empire and The Everglades.
He died in April 1976 at the age of 74.
Guy Williams (Will Cartwright)
John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
Williams joined the show as Ben's nephew Will after the exit of Pernell Roberts. He didn't last too long on the series, however, and there were rumors that part of the reason for his brief stint was that Michael Landon felt threatened by Williams' popularity.
Leaving the series didn't do much to slow the actor down. In 1965 he took on the role of patriarch Professor John Roberts on Lost in Space. He retired to Argentina in 1979 and died of a brain aneurysm 10 years later.
Victor Sen Yung (Hop Sing)
NBC
As Hop Sing, Yung became one-half of one of the first interracial relationships on TV in the United States.
After Bonanza, Yung starred as Uncle Charlie in Bachelor Father. He also worked as a chef, and even produced his own cookbook, The Great Wok Cookbook.
In 1972, Yung was shot in the back during a plane hijacking. He survived the experience, and ultimately passed away in 1980 from natural gas poisoning.
David Canary (Candy Canaday)
Bettmann / Contributor / Getty
Canary very nearly joined the NFL and was almost drafted by the Denver Broncos before he decided he loved acting too much to let it go. It was certainly the right move to make, as he not only starred in Bonanza ended but also appeared in more than 1,200 episodes of All My Children. He remained with the soap opera until two years before his death in 2015.
Mitch Vogel (Jamie Hunter-Cartwright)
Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for TCM
Vogel joined Bonanza when he was only 12 years old as the orphaned Jamie Hunter who eventually became Jamie Hunter-Cartwright. After Bonanza, Vogel joined Michael Landon on Little House on the Prairie, where he played Johnny Johnson from 1974 to 1975.
In 1978, Vogel left acting and became a professional musician. He's married with two children.
