Daniel Francis Haggerty (November 19, 1942 – January 15, 2016) was an American actor who was best known for playing the title role in the film and television series ''

The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams ''The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams'' is a 1974 independent feature film produced by Charles E. Sellier Jr. and Raylan D. Jensen for Sun Classic Pictures. The film's popularity led to an NBC television series of the same name. The title cha ...

''.

Early life

Haggerty's birthplace is given as Pound,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, and his birth year has been reported as 1942. His parents separated when he was three.

Acting career

Haggerty was cast in a small non-speaking role as a bodybuilder in the 1964 film ''

Muscle Beach Party ''Muscle Beach Party'' is the second of seven beach party films produced by American International Pictures. It stars Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello and was directed by William Asher, who also directed four other films in this series. ...

'' and also as a bodybuilder in ''

Girl Happy ''Girl Happy'' is a 1965 American musical romantic comedy and beach party film starring Elvis Presley in his eighteenth feature. The movie won a fourth place prize Laurel Award in the category Top Musical of 1965. It featured the song " Puppe ...

''. He also worked as a stuntman on the 1966 television series ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

'', and as set builder on various other projects. More stunt work followed, as well as supporting roles in numerous low-budget biker and wildlife films of the era, such as ''

Easy Rider ''Easy Rider'' is a 1969 American independent drug culture road drama film written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda, and directed by Hopper. Fonda and Hopper play two bikers who travel through the American So ...

'', ''

Angels Die Hard ''Angels Die Hard'' is a 1970 biker film directed by Richard Compton and starring Tom Baker and William Smith. It is the first film distributed by New World Pictures; half its budget was provided by Roger Corman. The film—which was written in t ...

'', '' The Adventures of Frontier Fremont'', and ''Terror Out of the Sky''. In addition to his

bit part In acting, a bit part is a role in which there is direct interaction with the principal actors and no more than five lines of dialogue, often referred to as a five-or-less or under-five in the United States, or under sixes in British television, ...

as a

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

in ''Easy Rider'', he also assisted in building the

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

s featured in the film. Grizzly Adams 1977

His experience with animals also brought him work as an animal trainer and handler in films produced by Walt Disney Studios. Haggerty directed white tigers, wolverines, eagles, and wild boar in the 1974 feature film ''

When the North Wind Blows ''When the North Wind Blows'' is a 1974 American film written and directed by Stewart Raffill. It gave a rare lead role to Henry Brandon. It was also known as ''The Snow Tiger''.Which was shot in New Mexico. Cast * Henry Brandon as Avakum *Herber ...

'' for

Sunn Classic Pictures Sunn Classic Pictures, also known as Sunn International Pictures, Schick Sunn Classic Pictures, and Taft International Pictures was an independent U.S.-based film distributor, founded in 1971. The company was notable for family films and document ...

, which also produced ''

'', a wildly popular film released the same year, in which he portrayed the title character

Grizzly Adams The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos hor ...

.(via Google Books) From the latter film evolved the NBC television series of the same name which ran from 1977 to 1978, and Haggerty became known to movie-goers for his portrayal of nature-loving James Capen "Grizzly" Adams. Haggerty starred in the television film ''

Condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

'' (1980), which also starred

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and producer best known for her starring role as Jeannie in the sitcom '' I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965-1970). Other notable roles include Roslyn Pierce opp ...

Ralph Bellamy Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and ...

and

Stuart Whitman Stuart Maxwell Whitman (February 1, 1928 – March 16, 2020) was an American actor, known for his lengthy career in film and television. Whitman was born in San Francisco and raised in New York until the age of 12, when his family relocated to ...

. Haggerty played a hydrology expert trying to warn residents that their Florida condos were about to be demolished in an approaching hurricane. In 1981, he appeared in an episode of ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

'', called "Waikiki Angels," as Bo Thompson. He guest-starred on ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'' in 1983 ("World's Greatest Kisser"). That year, he also appeared briefly in

David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series ''Kung Fu'', playi ...

's 1983 film ''

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

'' and provided a fighting dog for the production. In the film, he not only played the role of the dog's trainer, but also assisted in set design and the restoration of a broken down carousel, which figured prominently in the film.Carradine, David. ''Endless Highway''. (1995) Journey Publishing. Haggerty made a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...

as an attorney in ''

Terror Night ''Terror Night'' (also known as ''Bloody Movie'') is a 1987 American slasher film directed by Nick Marino. Plot When a group of kids sneak into the dilapidated, apparently-abandoned mansion of vanished silent film star Lance Hayward, they are me ...

'' (1987) with

John Ireland John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomin ...

and Cameron Mitchell, starred in ''Night Wars'' (1988) as a

Vietnam veteran A Vietnam veteran is a person who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States Armed Forces, and oth ...

who is a psychologist dealing with nightmares of his fellow veterans, and appeared in horror films such as ''

Elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes " ...

'' and the

Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. She played Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for an Academy Award. The fil ...

film ''The Chilling'' in 1989. He starred in the 1989 film ''Spirit of the Eagle''. Haggerty played lead roles in the films ''

Repo Jake ''Repo Jake'' is a 1990 American action film directed by Joseph Merhi and starring Dan Haggerty, Dana Bentley, Steve Hansbourgh, Paul Hayes, Walter Cox, Steve Wilcox, and Robert Axelrod. Plot Jake Baxter, an ex-Marine and a former racer, moves f ...

'' (1990) and ''

'' (1990). In 1995's ''Grizzly Mountain'', he starred as a modern-day version of Grizzly Adams and worked with bears, foxes, and hawks in the film. He reprised his role in ''Escape to Grizzly Mountain'' (2000). Haggerty was featured as a character in

Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...

's 1999 political satire novel, '' Why Not Me?''. Haggerty continued to work as both an actor and

infomercial An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of dire ...

spokesman. One of his endorsements was for the Pap-Ion Magnetic Inductor (PAP-IMI), a device alleged to have health benefits. He had only been hired as a spokesperson and was found not to be part of the fraud that later embroiled the manufacturer. In '' Big Stan'' (2007), he played Tubby, and appeared as a lumberjack foreman in '' Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan'' (2013). Haggerty also did several voice-overs and can also be seen in music videos by

Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...

and Rogues of the Empire. Haggerty appeared on the U.S. television show ''

American Pickers ''American Pickers'' is an American reality television series that premiered on January 18, 2010 on History, produced by A&E Television Networks in collaboration with Cineflix Media. In the series, the hosts travel across America in search of rar ...

'' in its episode "California Kustom", which aired February 25, 2013.

Personal life

Haggerty was married twice. He married Diane Rooker in 1959 at a Las Vegas wedding chapel in the Silver Slipper Hotel when they were 17. Haggerty and Diane had two daughters, Tracey and Tammy. They divorced in 1984, after which Haggerty married Samantha Hilton. Haggerty and Samantha had two sons named Dylan and Cody and one daughter named Megan. They were married until Samantha's death following a motorcycle accident on August 10, 2008. Haggerty lived on a small ranch in

Malibu Canyon Malibu Creek is a year-round stream in western Los Angeles County, California. It drains the southern Conejo Valley and Simi Hills, flowing south through the Santa Monica Mountains, and enters Santa Monica Bay in Malibu, California. The Malibu C ...

with an assortment of wild animals that he had tamed at birth or rescued from injury. In 1977, his beard caught fire from shooting back a flaming cocktail. Trying to put the flames out, Haggerty received third-degree burns on his arms. Production on ''The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams'' television series was halted while Haggerty recovered. In 1991, Haggerty was again hospitalized after a motorcycle accident left him in a coma, recovering with no aftereffects. In 1985, Haggerty was convicted of selling cocaine to an undercover police officer, receiving a jail sentence of 90 days and three years' probation.

Death

Haggerty was diagnosed with spinal cancer after undergoing back surgery, when a tumor on his spine was discovered in August 2015. He died of spinal cancer on January 15, 2016, in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

Selected filmography

*''

'' (1964) *''

'' (1969) *''

'' (1970) *'' The Tender Warrior'' (1971) *''

Chrome and Hot Leather ''Chrome and Hot Leather'' is a 1971 American action revenge film about Green Berets vs. bikersGary A. Smith, ''The American International Pictures Video Guide'', McFarland 2009 p 38 with touches of comedy. It is one of two films to feature sing ...

'' (1971) *''

Bury Me an Angel ''Bury Me an Angel'' is a 1971 American biker film from female director Barbara Peeters, who was script supervisor on ''Angels Die Hard'' (1970). She was the first woman to direct a biker film. The film was acquired by Roger Corman's New World Pi ...

'' (1972) *'' Pink Angels'' (1972) *'' Hex'' (1973) *'' Superchick'' (1973) *''

'' (1974) *''

'' (1974) *'' The Adventures of Frontier Fremont'' (1976) *'' Grizzly Adams: Once Upon a Starry Night'' (1978) *'' King of the Mountain'' (1981) *'' The Capture of Grizzly Adams'' (1982) *''

'' (1983) *'' Abducted'' (1986) *''

'' (1987) *'' Bloody Movie'' (1987) *'' Nightwars'' (1988) *''

'' (1989) *'' The Chilling'' (1989) *''Spirit of the Eagle'' (1989) *''Ice Pawn'' (1989) *''Mind Trap'' (1989) *''

'' (1990) *''

Chance Chance may refer to: Mathematics and Science * In mathematics, likelihood of something (by way of the Likelihood function and/or Probability density function). * ''Chance'' (statistics magazine) Places * Chance, Kentucky, US * Chance, Mary ...

'' (1990) *'' Inheritor'' (1990) *'' One Man War~ Macon County War (original title)'' (1990) *'' Soldier's Fortune'' (1992) *''

The Magic Voyage ''The Magic Voyage'' (german: Die Abenteuer von Pico & Columbus, lit=The Adventures of Pico and Columbus) is a 1992 German animated fantasy film produced and directed by Michael Schoemann. It was released in Germany by Bavaria Film on 14 Februar ...

'' (1994) *'' Cheyenne Warrior'' (1994) *''The Christmas Light'' (1995) *'' Sign of the Otter'' (1995) *''The Little Patriot'' (1995) *'' Abducted 2: The Reunion'' (1995) *''The Christmas Brigade'' (1996) *'' Grizzly Mountain'' (1997) *'' Born Champion'' (1998) *''

Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for ...

'' (1999) *''

Escape to Grizzly Mountain ''The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams'' is a 1974 independent feature film produced by Charles E. Sellier Jr. and Raylan D. Jensen for Sun Classic Pictures. The film's popularity led to an NBC television series of the same name. The title char ...

'' (2000) *''

An Ordinary Killer Dawn Lee Swan Magyar (March 28, 1952 – January 27, 1973) was found murdered in March 1973, in a wooded area in Chapin, Michigan. She had been reported missing since January 27, 1973, from her home in Chesaning, Michigan. Believed to have been ...

'' (2003) *''Motocross Kids'' (2004) *'' Big Stan'' (2007) *'' The Book of Ruth: Journey of Faith'' (2009) *'' Casa de mi Padre'' (2012) *'' Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan'' (2013) *''Dead In 5 Heartbeats'' (2013) *'' 40 Nights'' (2016)

Awards

* Received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

in 1994. * Awarded

The Dove Foundation The Dove Foundation is an American non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, that issues film reviews, ratings and endorsements of movies that it considers suitable for family audiences, and that bases said reviews on Christian values. D ...

's "Diamond Seal of Approval" for over 1 million family videos sold. * Awarded the

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...

"Humanitarian of the Year" Award in 1986. * Awarded the

People's Choice Award The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...

for most popular actor in 1980. * Awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International * Awarded a "Star" in Kanab, Utah — "Hollywood of the West" in 2009

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Haggerty, Dan 1942 births 2016 deaths American male television actors American male film actors Animal trainers Deaths from cancer in California Neurological disease deaths in California Deaths from spinal cancer Male actors from California Male actors from Los Angeles County, California Male actors from Wisconsin American stunt performers Entertainers from California People from Marinette County, Wisconsin