Dan Haggerty, Who Played Grizzly Adams

Dan Haggerty, who gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of the kind mountain man with a striking beard and his bear friend Ben in the NBC television series and 1974 film “The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams,” passed away on Friday in Burbank, California. His age was 73 years.

Terry Bomar, his manager and friend, stated that spinal cancer was the cause of death.

Dan Haggerty was creating a name for himself in Hollywood as an animal handler and stuntman before landing his famous part. When a producer requested him to appear in a few opening moments for a film about a woodsman and his bear, it was his big break. The plot, which is based on a novel by Charles Sellier Jr., centers on a man who flees to the woods after being wrongfully convicted of murder, becomes friends with the local wildlife, and takes in an abandoned bear.

Haggerty accepted to do the part, but he had one requirement: he had to appear in the whole film. Despite having a relatively low budget of $165,000, the film’s remake brought in close to $30 million at the box office. Because of this popularity, a television series was created, and in February 1977, Haggerty went back to playing the character of the wild and outdoorsy wilderness guardian.

The audience responded well to the show. It lukewarms the heart, as The New York Times’ John Leonard observed in his review. A large lump in the throat and a lot of communing with nature are experienced when a man and a bear hide out in a log cabin. Haggerty won a 1978 People’s Choice Award for being the most well-liked actor in a new series because of the series’ warm and sympathetic tone, which won over a lot of viewers.

The series also yielded two follow-ups: “Legend of the Wild,” which was broadcast on television in 1978 and eventually released in theaters in 1981, and “The Capture of Grizzly Adams,” a 1982 television film in which Adams ultimately exonerates himself of the false charge.

Born in Los Angeles on November 19, 1942, Daniel Francis Haggerty had a difficult upbringing. He had a turbulent childhood, breaking out of military school several times before coming home with his actor-father in Burbank when his parents divorced when he was three years old.

Haggerty was married twice in his personal life. When he was 17, he got married to Diane Rooker, but they later got divorced. In 2008, he lost his second wife, Samantha Hilton, in a horrific motorbike accident. His children, Don, Megan, Tracy, Dylan, and Cody, survive him.

In his debut motion picture, “Muscle Beach Party” (1964), Haggerty portrayed bodybuilder Biff. After that, he played supporting parts in motorcycle and wildlife movies. He was a hippie commune member in “Easy Rider.” He also played the role off-screen, living with a variety of wild creatures he had either tamed or rescued on a small ranch in Malibu Canyon.

His expertise with animals led to positions as an animal trainer and stuntman for television shows including “Daktari” and “Tarzan.” He kept taking on parts like “Where the North Wind Blows” (1974) and “The Adventures of Frontier Fremont” (1976) that highlighted his affinity for the natural world. His love of outdoor parts brought him roles evoking Grizzly Adams to movies like “Grizzly Mountain” (1997) and “Escape to Grizzly Mountain” (2000).

Haggerty had appearances in a number of horror movies later in his career, such as “Terror Night” (1987) and “Elves” (1989). He was involved in court in 1985 and was given a 90-day jail sentence for distributing cocaine to police officers who were undercover.

Tragic incidents also occurred in his life. Haggerty suffered third-degree burns to his arms when a diner carrying a burning drink unintentionally caught his renowned beard on fire in 1977 when he was dining. Despite being admitted to the hospital and supposed to stay for a month, he left after just ten days, claiming to have expertise of curing animals.

“The first couple of days I just lay in the dark room drinking water, like a wounded wolf trying to heal myself,” he said, reflecting on his injury, to People magazine.

Johnny Depp’s New Woman Will Leave You Speechless – See Who She Is Now!

According to rumors, actor Johnny Depp is dating someone familiar. Read on to learn more about the new woman in his life!

In recent years, Johnny Depp has been in the spotlight for his legal battles. He gained international attention when he sued Amber Heard for defamation, seeking $50 million.

This lawsuit was over an opinion piece Heard wrote in March 2019 for the Washington Post, where she talked about her experience as a victim of domestic abuse.

Even though Depp won the defamation lawsuit, the jury also found him responsible for statements made by his lawyer, Adam Waldman, who called Heard’s claims a “hoax.”

Heard was awarded $2 million by the same jury and has stayed out of the spotlight for the past two years. She appealed in December 2022 but settled the case out of court, stating, “I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.”

She did not participate in the press tour for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which she starred in in 2023.

Depp also took a break from the public eye before attending the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where he received a seven-minute standing ovation for his movie Jeanne Du Barry.

There were rumors he was romantically involved with attorney Joelle Rich, who represented him in the U.K. libel case against Heard, but this relationship was never confirmed.

A source close to Heard said she is doing well, focusing on motherhood and her daughter. She is happy and comfortable in Spain, feeling settled and ready to move on with her life without any drama related to Johnny or the trial.

As for Depp, the same source says he’s doing great. He feels vindicated and is “very happy to move on with his life.” He appreciates his true fans and is focusing on his career and future.

Gabbot/Flickr

Actor Johnny Depp, 61, is reportedly dating again. He’s been linked to a 28-year-old who might look familiar to some. However, it seems they’re not “official” yet.

Depp’s newest romantic interest is 28-year-old model Yulia Vlasova. A source says the actor is “casually seeing Yulia Vlasova.”

The source also mentioned that they have known each other for a few years and see each other whenever they can.

Although the couple was photographed together, it’s unclear how they initially got together.

Two years after his defamation trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard, Depp is having a casual relationship with a young Russian model.

The dispute stemmed from Depp’s charges of defamation about Heard’s bogus allegations of abuse.

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