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Bonanza Star Pernell Roberts Dead at 81

Cancer claims life of last surviving cast member

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 26, 2010 5:35 AM CST

(Newser) – The last surviving member of Bonanza's original cast has died of cancer at age 81. Pernell Roberts, who played the eldest Cartwright brother, left the show at the height of its popularity in 1965 to return to the stage after feuding with producers. He went on to star in M*A*SH spinoff Trapper John MD for seven seasons starting in 1979.

The Georgia-born Korean war vet was a vocal supporter of the civil rights movement and marched with Martin Luther King in Selma, Alabama, the New York Daily News reports. Roberts, whose only child died in a motorcycle accident in 1989, is survived by his fourth wife, Eleanor Criswell.

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This 1959 picture provided by NBC shows Pernell Roberts. (AP Photo/NBC)

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Pernell Roberts is seen in the opening credits of "Bonanza." (williemusic)

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Bonanza Star Pernell Roberts Dead at 81