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.
Chrissy Teigen Shares Photos of Her Kids, and People Keep Noticing the Same Worrying Detai
Chrissy Teigen recently shared a series of sweet photos capturing her two youngest children. While many people found the pictures adorable, others spotted a concerning detail. They quickly commented on it, causing a stir in the comments.
The 38-year-old model shared a series of photos on her Instagram account featuring her two youngest children—daughter Esti, 18 months, and son Wren, 13 months. “Almost home to you!!!! Grateful to our household of love who fills our iCloud album daily while we bring home the bacon,” she wrote, adding a playful note about her husband, John Legend, calling him “the luxe pancetta.”
In the first photo, Wren is sitting on the floor, sipping from a cup, surrounded by his toys, including a small Target shopping cart. The following two pictures capture Esti playing with a hairless cat and sitting at a piano, wearing a pink dress with a matching headband.
The series of photos continues with a shot of Wren grinning at the camera while enjoying a plate of pasta. Teigen has been on the go this summer, recently returning from a trip to Paris where she watched the 2024 Summer Olympics. During the trip, her choice of outfit stirred up some controversy. She returned home from her European travels last week, sharing on Instagram that she was “back with my littles.”
While many people commented on how adorable Teigen’s children look, some were worried about the model being away from her kids so often. “How many nannies do you have? I bet you miss your mom being there with you,” one follower wrote. “I’m sure the kids would rather have their parents at home. Do you really need to work another day in your life?” another asked.
But most people supported Teigen as a working mom and noted how beautiful her kids looked. “Happy parents = happy kids,” someone commented. “Enjoy seeing your beautiful family! Always looking so happy and smiling,” another user wrote. “Cuteness overload!!! These pics are sweet like sugar, just like the whole family,” another follower agreed.
When Chrissy Teigen shared unfiltered photos from her family vacation, many praised her for not being ashamed of her “mom body.” She embraced her body’s “imperfections” and inspired many women who might be worried about how their bodies look after having children. Many people left warm comments on her pictures, thanking her for being so honest and open.
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