Michael Landon - Biography, Quotes

Television actor, born in New York City, New York, USA. After appearing in small roles in television Westerns and drama series including Playhouse 90, he made his film debut in I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957). He endeared himself to audiences as Little Joe in the television western series, Bonanza (1959–73), and as Charles Ingalls in the television series based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie (1974–83). He occasionally wrote and directed for the series he starred in, including Highway to Heaven (1984–8), and had just completed the pilot for Us before his sudden death from cancer.

Michael Landon
Birth name	Eugene Maurice Orowitz
Born	October 31, 1936 Forest Hills, New York
Died	July 1, 1991 Malibu, California
Height	5'10.5"
Other name(s)	Michael Landon
Notable roles	Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie Jonathan Smith on Highway to Heaven

Michael Landon (October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) was an American actor, producer and director who starred in three popular NBC TV series that spanned three decades.

Biography

Early life

Landon was born Eugene Maurice Orowitz in the New York City borough in the Queens neighborhood of Forest Hills, New York. Landon's father, Eli Maurice Orowitz, was a Jewish American actor and movie theater manager, and his mother, Kathleen Ignatius O’Neill, was an Irish American Catholic dancer and comedienne.

He changed his name from Eugene Orowitz to Michael Landon after he decided to launch his acting career, as he did not feel that his given name was appropriate for an actor.

Early career

After changing his last name, Landon became one of the more popular and enduring young actors of the late 1950s, making his first appearance in The Mystery of Casper Hauser.

Bonanza

In 1959, at age 22, Landon had his first starring TV role as Little Joe Cartwright on Bonanza, one the first TV series to be in color. Landon's character was the cocky, mischievous youngest brother of the Cartwright Family. The character evolved to be a "ladies' man" and Landon became an early TV sex symbol, often appearing shirtless on the show.

Landon often performed his own stunts. Landon had originally written the 14th season's two hour premiere episode based on the marriage of Blocker's character Hoss. Landon, too grieved to do a memorial episode to honor his friend, instead cast himself in the groom's role of his already finished script. Landon appeared in all 14 seasons of Bonanza.

Little House on the Prairie

The year after Bonanza was cancelled, Landon went on to star in the pilot of yet another successful western television series called Little House on the Prairie, again for NBC. Landon served as executive producer, writer, and director of the show, making him one of the series' driving forces. Little House became Landon's second longest running series. Above all, the entire cast shared a close bond with Landon, especially Gilbert. Landon's real-life daughter, Leslie, appeared as a plague victim in one episode and later as a recurring character. That same year, Landon produced and directed Little House: A New Beginning, which focused on the Wilder family and the Walnut Grove community.

Gilbert said of her mentor that Landon became a "second father" to her when she lost her own father, at age 11. She also got to spend most of the weekends visiting Landon's real-life family in 1976. Five years later in 1981, when Gilbert was only 17, she even took Michael Landon Jr. After the series ended, Gilbert stayed connected with Landon for the next 8 years, until Landon's own death. After Landon's death, she named her son, Michael Garrett Boxleitner (1995), after Landon.

Highway to Heaven

After producing both the Father Murphy TV series and a movie, Sam's Son, Landon went on to star in another successful television series. His co-star on the show was Victor French (who previously co-starred on Landon's Little House on the Prairie). NBC didn't feel the show had a prayer, but it too proved to be another hit for Landon. On Highway, Landon served as executive producer, writer and director of the show. Though Landon felt that he liked writing the best, and acting the least, he continued to act because actors get more money than writers .

By 1985, prior to hiring his son Michael Landon Jr. Before the series cancellation in 1989, he even invited his youngest daughter Jennifer Landon for the final episode.

Personal life

Landon was married three times.

Dodie Levy-Fraser (married in March 1956/divorced in December 1962) Mark was born on October 1, 1948 (adopted) Josh Fraser Landon was born on February 11, 1960 (adopted) (Marjorie) Lynn Noe (married on January 12, 1963/divorced 1980) Leslie was born:October 11, 1962 Michael Graham was born: June 20, 1964 Shawna was born: December 4, 1971 Christopher was born: February 27, 1975(Landon at one point attempted to adopt Lynn's daughter, Cheryl Pontrelli, from her first marriage, but the girl's birth father wouldn't allow it.) Cindy Clerico (married in February 14, 1983) Jennifer Rachel Landon was born on August, 29, 1983. (Jennifer is now an Emmy-winning actress starring as Gwen Norbeck Munson on the soap opera As the World Turns.) Sean Matthew Landon was born on August 5, 1986

His second marriage ended in a very bitter and public divorce in 1980, but the final divorce decree did not address the division of assets. A separate battle over the division of the couple's community property took two years to settle and ended up costing Landon more than US$26 million in 1982. Many fans felt betrayed by Landon, who had always played morally upstanding characters on television. Not Michael Landon."

In February 1959, Landon lost his father to a massive heart attack. In March 1981, Landon's mother, Peggy O' Neill, died.

Landon's shows were all on NBC, but after ending Highway, he moved to CBS and in 1991 starred in a two hour pilot called Us. This was meant to be another series for Landon, but on April 5, he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, an inoperable pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver and lymph nodes. Doctors believe Landon's heavy cigarette smoking - four packs a day - contributed to this cancer.

On May 9, 1991, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to speak of his illness, promising to fight the cancer and asking fans to pray for him. However, almost 2 months later, on July 1, 1991, Landon died in Malibu, California, aged 54.

After his death, Landon was again on the covers of weekly tabloids when it was revealed that he had done some last-minute changing to his will.

For his contribution to the television industry, Michael Landon has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 N.

Quotes

Michael about his times with his father: "I felt my father's presence with me, enlightening my memories, helping me to commit to paper the feelings I had.

Michael encouraging others to watch clean TV: "I want people to laugh and cry, not just sit and stare at the TV.