Dan Haggerty, ‘Grizzly Adams’ Star, Dead at 74

Dan Haggerty, best known for playing mountain man Grizzly Adams in both a TV series and on film, died Friday following a battle with cancer. He was 74. The actor’s manager, Terry Bomar, confirmed his passing to ABC News.

Haggerty first starred as James Capen “Grizzly” Adams in the 1974 film The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, which was based on the life of a real outdoorsman and grizzly bear trainer who resided in California in the 1800s. The movie finds the protagonist heading into the mountains and bonding with animals after being wrongly accused of murder. 

After earning a jaw-dropping $45 million on a $200,000 budget, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the story spawned an NBC series in 1977, running for two seasons. Haggerty reprised his role in both a 1981 film and 1982 TV movie. Prior to landing his signature role, Haggerty played a bit part as a hippie in Dennis Hopper’s classic 1969 road movie Easy Rider and assisted in building the various motorcycles used throughout the film. 

Following his success in the Grizzly Adams series, Haggerty found work in more obscure projects. Some of his most prominent later roles include David Carradine’s 1983 drama film Americana and appearances in TV shows like The Love Boat and Charlie’s Angels. 

After Haggerty was diagnosed with cancer, his daughter Megan started a crowdfunding campaign to help offset medical bills, though it earned only $10,526 of its $100,000 goal.