Bonanza (1959) Cast: Then & Now | What Really Happened to Them?

What really happened to the legendary cast of Bonanza (1959) after the burning map of the Ponderosa faded for the last time? For fourteen seasons and 431 episodes, Ben, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright made Bonanza the number one show on television and sold color TV to America — all set to a theme song an entire generation can still hum. But behind the Ponderosa were real lives more dramatic than any script: a wounded Korean War sergeant whose sudden death ended the show itself, a star who walked away from the #1 series in America and marched at Selma, a Hollywood legend who said goodbye to the country on live television, and a beloved cook who survived a real airplane hijacking only to die alone. In this video, we revisit the lives of the unforgettable Bonanza cast, including Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, and Victor Sen Yung. Which Cartwright was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below! If you enjoy classic television, vintage TV westerns, Hollywood history, and Then & Now documentaries, don't forget to subscribe for more unforgettable cast stories. Thank you for watching! #Bonanza #MichaelLandon #ThenAndNow #WhereAreTheyNow #ClassicTV #VintageTV #ClassicWesterns #HollywoodHistory #1960sTV #TVHistory #LorneGreene #DanBlocker #2026