Pernell Roberts 1928-2010

The television world lost another actor to pancreatic cancer recently as Pernell Roberts passed away on Jan. 24. If you watched television from the ‘60s to the ‘80s, then Roberts has been a part of your life. His television career started with the hit series “Bonanza.” There, he played the oldest brother Adam Cartwright for six seasons.

During the late ‘60s and ‘70s, he guest starred on the top shows of the day, including a four-episode arc on “Mission Impossible.” However, he is best known for playing Trapper John MD. His character was a spin-off from “M.A.S.H.” as John McIntyre, a character that was created by Wayne Rogers. It was one of the most inventive ways to spin-off a television show.

Before, between and after these two iconic shows, Roberts was a civil rights activist to the point where he used his power to have NBC have minorities play people of color on “Bonanza,” instead of having these characters played by Caucasians. His departure from “Bonanza” was due to his belief that there was a lack of integrity in the show. As someone who won a Drama Desk Award for starring in “Macbeth,” Roberts believed that he had more to offer on Broadway and other acting venues. In his role on “Trapper,” John Emmy-nominated Roberts (1981) was able to play several emotions every week. It was a fun show to watch, and for several seasons capped the successful Sunday night CBS lineup.

Roberts also had a decent singing voice and recorded several songs. However, he used his voice mostly for the stage in musicals, such as “Carousel.”

Later on in his career, this charismatic actor starred in commercials. His last acting job was in the early 2000s. Since then, he had been in retirement until his death.