The entertainment world lost an icon in 2010 when Pernell Roberts passed away from pancreatic cancer at 81. The busy actor left a tremendous legacy, and his body of work shows a prolific actor who possessed an incredible range.
Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Images
Roberts was once a popular fixture on television. Roberts gained his initial TV fame on Bonanza playing Adam Cartwright, but he would leave the series in the mid-1960s amidst great controversy, as The Guardian pointed out in his obituary in 2010. Roberts previously worked mainly as a stage actor and accepted scores of challenging roles. Over time, he felt Bonanza became too limiting and juvenile, so he departed. Roberts would return to the stage and also made TV guest appearances for 15 years. In 1979, he returned to television in a high-profile role with Trapper John, M.D.
Pernell Roberts was born in Waycross, GA, in 1928. He took up acting and music lessons at a young age. Not many Bonanza fans knew he was an accomplished singer, but those following his stage career did. Some were lucky enough to see him perform. Among the earliest singing performances were ones for the USO while he was a youngster.
Interestingly, he joined the U.S. Marines and played the tuba in the Marine Corps band. After leaving the service, he ventured to Broadway and started a fascinating career. 1957 saw him make his feature film debut. Roberts signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and accepted an acting assignment in a Burl Ives and Sophia Loren film, Desire Under the Elms.
Roberts’ career took off, and he appeared on scores of television shows. Guest appearances had their limitations, so his career received a significant break with Bonanza. The show was a hit and provided Roberts with a steady income and the ability to do stage work when not shooting the series.
Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Images
After several years on the series, Roberts’ frustrations grew, and he quit. It took some time for him to land a prominent lead role on television again, but his theatrical career and TV guest appearances kept him busy. Thankfully, a lot of people still remember him fondly as Dr. John McIntyre in Trapper John, M.D., a CBS drama series from the early 1980s.
Robert retired from acting in the 1990s and chose to live a life out of the spotlight. Sadly, in 2007, doctors diagnosed him with pancreatic cancer. He passed away in 2010.
Is there someone you know who remembers Pernell Roberts fondly? Why not share the actor’s bio with that person? This way, the great legacy of Pernell Roberts is never forgotten.
