Pernell Roberts Dies At 81

MALIBU -Funeral services were pending today for actor Pernell Roberts, who portrayed Adam Cartwright in the classic television western “Bonanza” and later played the lead role in the medical drama “Trapper John, M.D.”

Roberts, 81, died of cancer Sunday at his Malibu home, his wife, Eleanor Criswell, told the Los Angeles Times.

Born in Waycross, Ga., Roberts served in the Marines for two years and began performing in stage shows in the early 1950s. He made it to Broadway in the mid-1950s, appearing in a series of shows, including “Macbeth and “The Taming of the Shrew.”

He got his big break in 1959 when he won the role of Adam Cartwright, the eldest son of Ben Cartwright in “Bonanza.” The role earned him a wide following of fans — who were distraught when Roberts decided to leave the show after six years to pursue other opportunities.

After “Bonanza,” he appeared mostly in musicals and even released an album, but he continued to show up in guest roles on shows including “The Big Valley,” “Gunsmoke,” “Night Gallery,” “The Virginian,” “Mission: Impossible” and “Ironside.”

In 1979, he landed the lead as “Trapper John, M.D.,” a sequel of sorts to “M*A*S*H,” reviving the character played by Wayne Rogers on the classic Korean War-era comedy. He continued in that role for all seven years of the show’s run.

He made a handful of television appearances after the series ended, but was essentially retired for the past decade.