America’s Second Favorite TV Dad
NBC’s Bonanza would have never been as popular as it was without actor Lorne Greene. In the series, Greene played Ben Cartwright, Bonanza’s main character, and the head of the Cartwright clan. Generations of kids grew up watching the show, and many saw him as a father figure. Although Cartwright was strict with his sons, he also had a soft, sympathetic side that audiences loved.
Lorne Greene. Photo by David Magnus / Shutterstock
Unsurprisingly, Green was voted America’s second-favorite TV dad. In addition to his performance on Bonanza, science fiction fans may recognize him as Commander Adama in the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series and Galactica 1980. Greene was usually typecast as the wise father figure, which continued long after his run on Bonanza.