Reports are starting to flood in that Dan Haggerty passed away today, January 15th 2016 following a short battle with cancer. He was 74. Months ago the Wisconsin native went in for back surgery following bouts of back pain when it was discovered that he had cancer that was inoperable. This gave the actor enough time to return home to California to be with his family before passing.
Haggerty is most known for playing the title character in “The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams,” which aired from 1977 to 1978 and followed an innocent fugitive who escapes to the woods. While there, Adams befriends a docile grizzly bear and they go about helping people in need. He reprised the role in future film adaptions Once Upon A Starry Night (1978), Legend of the Wild (1981) and The Capture of Grizzly Adams (1982).
Following his big bout of fame, Dan went on to book lead or supporting roles in a string of horror films. They include Hex (1973), Terror Out of the Sky (1978), Terror Night (1987), Night Wars (1988), Elves (1989), The Chilling (198), Mind Trap (1989), The Inheritor (1990) and The Channeler (1990). In fact, two of his last roles ever were horror films: An Ordinary Killer (2003) and Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan (2013).
He was also an animal trainer, body builder and stuntman.
All of us here at HorrorSociety.com send our condolences to his family, friends and fans.
R.I.P. Dan Haggerty
November 19, 1941 – January 15, 2016
