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.
I Found My Daughter Sleeping Under the Stairs—Her Chilling Confession Left Me Shaken
In-laws are supposed to make life easier, right? Well, not in my case. This is the story of how I got back at Linda, who thought she could treat my eldest daughter, Tessa, badly and get away with it.
I have two daughters. Tessa, who is 10, is from my first marriage. She’s sweet, quiet, and always tries to make everyone happy. My younger daughter, Sadie, is 4, from my marriage to Grant, my current husband. Sadie is the opposite—full of energy and always asking questions. Grant loves both girls, but his mother, Linda, feels differently, especially toward Tessa.
Linda is the type of person who wants everything to appear perfect on the outside. But underneath, she’s judgmental and cold, particularly when it comes to Tessa. The reason? Tessa isn’t Grant’s biological daughter.
For years, I tried to keep the peace. Grant would say, “She’s just old-fashioned,” but it was clear Linda’s behavior wasn’t fair to Tessa.
“She’ll come around,” Grant would say. But Linda never did. Instead, she made small, hurtful comments toward Tessa.
Tessa, bless her, never complained. She stayed quiet, probably thinking it was her fault. But I noticed everything. I heard the comments, and each time, it made me angry.
Grant? He didn’t see it the same way. He loved his mom and thought she was just being her usual, quirky self.
I always thought in-laws were supposed to make life easier. But not in my case. This is the story of how I got revenge on Linda, my mother-in-law, who treated my eldest daughter, Tessa, like she didn’t matter.
I have two daughters. Tessa, 10, is from my first marriage. She’s sweet, quiet, and always tries to make people happy. Sadie, 4, is from my marriage to Grant, and she’s full of energy. Grant loves both girls, but his mother, Linda, acts differently, especially toward Tessa.
Linda often made rude comments about Tessa. Sometimes, she’d say things like, “Oh, Tessa, that dress is a bit too grown-up for you, don’t you think?” She would forget Tessa’s birthday but spoil Sadie with gifts.
Things got worse after my own mother passed away. I was crushed by grief, barely able to function. We had to travel out of state for the funeral, and Linda offered to watch the girls. I didn’t want to leave Tessa with her, knowing how uncomfortable she’d be, but I had no other choice.
Three days later, we returned home, and the house was eerily quiet. Linda left a note saying she had taken Sadie to the park, but I couldn’t find Tessa. My heart raced as I searched the house. Then, I saw a light coming from the basement. I went downstairs and found Tessa, curled up on the cold floor, sleeping under a blanket, with dried tears on her face.
“Tessa, why are you down here?” I asked, heartbroken. She told me Linda had made her sleep there, saying Sadie was her “real” granddaughter and they needed “special time” together.
I was furious but knew confronting Linda wouldn’t change things. Instead, I decided to get even. Linda’s family reunion was coming up, and it was her pride and joy. I offered to help her organize it, pretending everything was fine. But behind the scenes, I was telling the family how Tessa was treated, especially during the funeral.
At the reunion, I put together a slideshow of family photos. But in the middle of all the happy pictures, I included a clip of Tessa sleeping on the basement floor. The mood shifted immediately. People were shocked, whispering, “Why would she be down there?”
Linda’s perfect image crumbled as the family questioned her. She tried to explain, but it was too late—everyone saw her for who she truly was. I didn’t need to say anything; the photos said it all.
Since that day, Linda hasn’t spoken to me, and honestly, that’s just fine with me. I’ll always protect my daughter, no matter what.
Leave a Reply