Pernell Roberts
| Pernell Roberts | |
|---|---|
Roberts as Adam Cartwright in a publicity still for Bonanza, 1959
|
|
| Born |
Pernell Elven Roberts, Jr. May 18, 1928 Waycross, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | January 24, 2010 (aged 81) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pancreatic cancer |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1949–2001 |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Vera Mowry (1951–1959) Judith LeBrecque (1962–1971) Kara Knack (1972–1996) Dr. Eleanor Criswell(1997–2010; his death) |
| Children | 1 |
 Photo of Pernell Roberts with his parents and his son Chris
|
Pernell Elven Roberts, Jr. (May 18, 1928 – January 24, 2010) was an American stage, film, and television actor, as well as a singer. In addition to guest-starring in over 60 television series, he was best known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son Adam Cartwright on the Western television series Bonanza (1959–1965), and as chief surgeon Dr. John McIntyre, the title character on Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986).
He was also known for his lifelong activism, which included participation in the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 and pressuring NBC to refrain from hiring Whites to portray minority characters.
Roberts was born in 1928 in Waycross, Georgia, the only child of Pernell Elven Roberts, Sr. (1907–1980), a Dr Pepper salesman, and Minnie (Betty) Myrtle Morgan Roberts (1910–1988). During his high-school years, Pernell played the horn, acted in school and church plays, and sang in local USO shows. He attended, but did not graduate from, Georgia Tech. Enlisting in 1946, he served for two years in the United States Marine Corps. He played the tuba and horn in the Marine Corps Band, and he was also skilled at playing the sousaphone and percussion. He later attended, also without graduating, the University of Maryland, where he had his first exposure to acting in classical theatre. He appeared in four productions while a student, including Othello and Antigone, but left school to act in .
...
Wikipedia