What Was ‘Bonanza’ Actor Pernell Roberts’ Net Worth at His Death?
Though actors typically portray many roles throughout their careers, they can also be defined by one or two pivotal parts that become their legacy (whether they like it or not). Such is the case with Pernell Roberts.
The actor was featured in numerous projects from the ’60s until the ’80s, particularly on TV. But Roberts is best known for two major characters over the course of his lifetime.
The TV shows were a substantial contributor to Roberts’ net worth. He left behind a small fortune at the time of his death in 2010. Here’s more about the actor and his legacy:
Pernell Roberts was best known for his roles on ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Trapper John M.D.’
Roberts has more than 100 credits to his name. But he’s best known for two roles, which also happen to be the lengthiest.
The Georgia native got his start playing Shakespearean characters on theater stages and then moved to smaller projects. Next, he landed the role on Bonanza of Adam Cartwright, the eldest and most serious son of wealthy rancher Ben Cartwright. (Michael Landon, later of Little House on the Prairie fame, played his younger brother “Little Joe.”)
The NBC Western was the second longest-running show in its genre (after Gunsmoke). It was the first to be filmed in color, which attracted a number of fans. Roberts left Bonanza after six seasons in 1965 and acted in many small parts in the following decade.
In 1979, he landed the role of Dr. John McIntyre on Trapper John, M.D., a spinoff of the TV show M*A*S*H that follows the Trapper John character from the Korean MASH unit to a San Francisco hospital. Roberts was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award for that role in 1981.
Pernell Roberts’ net worth came primarily from the shows he starred in
Though his roles were fairly straightforward, Roberts felt his time on Trapper John, M.D. stretched his acting range and allowed him to take on character arcs that pushed the envelope.
The show included typical medical storylines but also tackled more taboo subjects in the 1980s, including AIDS, the Epstein-Barr virus, and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Roberts’ acting credits tapered off in the early ’90s. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007 and died in early 2010 as a result of that illness.
The actor began his career in stage performances and returned to the stage several times over the course of his career. Those stints, plus his smaller TV credits, certainly added to his earnings over the years. However, it was his time on Bonanza and Trapper John M.D. that helped contribute the most to his net worth.
For instance, Roberts and his Bonanza co-stars were making up to $10,000 per episode toward the end of his tenure on the series. The money from that and other projects served Roberts for decades afterward. The actor was worth an estimated $10 million when he died at the age of 81, Celebrity Net Worth reports.
Roberts is tied to the legacy of ‘Bonanza’ despite leaving abruptly after Season 6
Drama on TV sets isn’t reserved for the 21st century. Roberts caused quite a stir when he refused to renew his Bonanza contract and left with little warning before Season 7 began. The show continued on for another eight seasons and left the door open for Roberts to return, though he never did.
Roberts was fairly outspoken about his decision to leave the show. He knew he was leaving money on the table but didn’t care. Perhaps it was his theater roots or interest in more serious performances. But Roberts repeatedly expressed his displeasure with the direction of Bonanza‘s writing.
Some might say he viewed himself as above the casting. “I feel I am an aristocrat in my field of endeavor,” Roberts reportedly stated. “My being part of Bonanza was like Isaac Stern [an accomplished classical violinist] sitting in with [talk show host and accordionist] Lawrence Welk.”
Despite his views on the subject, the fact that it was Bonanza that made him a household name means Roberts is inevitably tied to the series for good.
