Back in the day, Michael Landon was a well-known television and film actor. In fact, his role as Little Joe became the beating heart of the top-rated 1960s series Bonanza, making him a national icon. In the following years, he established himself as the king of feel-good television. He even went on to star in Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven.
Unfortunately, the world lost one of its most adored artists on July 1, 1991. He passed away after battling pancreatic cancer at age 54, after decades of popularity on tv screens. Let’s take a look at a few facts about the actor that even his greatest admirers might not know.
10. Michael Landon Spearheaded The Idea To Blow Up The Little House Set
When production on Little House on the Prairie started, Kent McCray signed an arrangement with the landowners. He agreed to return the area to its original state after shooting the show. However, the set was not part of that deal. When it was all over, the production team had difficulty taking the set apart. So, Landon came up with the brilliant idea to blow up the house.
9. He Picked His Stage Name From A Phone Book
Michael Landon wasn’t actually born “Michael Landon”. The star was actually born Eugene Maurice Orowitz in Queens. He ended up moving to Collingswood, New Jersey, outside of Philadelphia. Orowitz was employed at a petrol station near the Warner Bros. studio at the time. The actor saw his name in a phone book one day, and that was it. Ironically, his first leading role as an actor was on a sitcom called Telephone Time.
8. His Mother Attempted Suicide
Landon’s childhood wasn’t the smoothest or easiest. Besides the usual cares of life, his mother’s mental instability didn’t make things easy. She attempted suicide once while the family was on holiday at the seashore. Fortunately, Landon saved her, but the tragedy profoundly impacted him. The episode, which he subsequently characterized as the worst experience of his life, left him anxious. This contributed to the persistence of his childhood sleep problems.
7. Bonanza Launched Michael Landon’s Career
At the age of 22, Landon was hired as Little Joe Cartwright on the TV series Bonanza. Despite the fact that it was his first big job, he held his own against industry veterans such as Lorne Greene and Dan Blocker. He was by far the cast’s most popular character. Later, his fame paved the way for him to renegotiate his agreement and write and direct several episodes.
6. He Tried To Fight The Cancer With A Diet
In her biography, I Promised My Dad, Landon’s stepdaughter revealed that when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he understood that his bad habits had a role to play. So, he went clean and adopted healthy living to combat his condition. However, the star was shocked to discover that the tumor had quadrupled in size despite going with the naturalistic treatment approach.
5. Michael Landon’s Bar Mitzvah Was Celebrated At Temple Beth Sholom
Seeing as Michael Landon’s father was Jewish family, the star was a half-Jew. As such, he went through the coming-of-age ritual known as Bar Mitzvah. His was celebrated at Temple Beth Sholom, a Conservative synagogue in Haddon Heights. Landon jumped through hoops preparing for the big occasion. In fact, he rode to a neighboring town on a daily basis to learn how to read Hebrew.
4. He Thought A Child Would Save His Marriage
When Landon and Dodie Levy-Fraser’s relationship was in crisis, they decided to adopt another child, Jason. Nevertheless, before the formal adoption papers were drawn, it was clear that adoption wasn’t the solution. So, they returned the baby to the agency and proceeded with the divorce. Soon after, the star met Lynn Noe, his second wife, on the set of Bonanza and married her in 1963.
3. He Made An Appearance In The Famous Show Cheyenne
Michael Landon starred in an episode of the popular TV show Cheyenne. However, he didn’t receive any credit, and his character had no lines. In fact, his character was killed off in the middle of the one-hour episode. Altogether, he appeared multiple times when the Indians struck.
2. Michael Landon Was A Successful Athlete
Landon wasn’t just an accomplished actor, the star also dabbled in sports. He was an expert javelin thrower in high school and as a freshman at USC. His abilities on track and field secured him a college scholarship, according to his life story. Regrettably, he was forced to give up sports due to ruptured ligaments in his arm.
1. He Had A Short Stint As A Singer
Michael Landon had a brief stint in music. The star even released a debut song while still receiving recognition for his acting work. Although his music career did not achieve the same level of success as his acting career, it’s impressive that he managed to balance both interests.
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