Michael Landon's Son Michael Jr. Followed His Dad's Footsteps & Became An Actor

May 14, 2021 by apost team

The resemblance between children and their parents is a wonderful thing, as it means a part of them is always with their offspring, even after they're gone. And in regards to physical beauty, it's also especially lucky for children whose parents are blessed in the looks department. In such cases when both the mother and father are very attractive, their offspring can often take on the best of each of them, in turn making them even more beautiful than their parents!

That must have been the case for Michael Landon Jr., who is one of "Bonanza" actor Michael Landon's children. Michael first shot to fame in the late '50s on the legendary TV show, before taking on other iconic acting roles, such as in "Little House on the Prairie" and "Highway to Heaven." He was incredibly well-loved by audiences, which helped to establish his beloved legacy. However, sadly, he passed away in 1991 at the age of 54 due to pancreatic cancer. 

Although Michael was taken too soon and is no longer with us, his memory lives on through his nine children. Some of them have followed their father into the entertainment industry, both in acting and behind the camera, while others advocate for pancreatic cancer awareness. One of his children that has followed him into showbiz is Michael Landon Jr., who happens to have also received his father's good looks. In honor of Michael, let's take a look at his life, how his children are honoring his legacy, and how handsome his son Michael Landon Jr. is today.

Although his name lives on as a beloved television actor, Michael Landon wasn't raised in show business. Born as Eugene Maurice Orowitz on October 31, 1936, in a suburb of Queens, New York, to a Jewish father and Roman Catholic mother, Michael was raised Jewish. He celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at Temple Beth Shalom and spent a lot of time preparing for the big event.

But unfortunately, the rest of his childhood was not always an easy or pleasant one. During his youth, his mother attempted suicide on multiple occasions, including one time in which she tried to drown herself but was rescued by Michael. Soon after she pretended as if nothing had happened, causing young Michael to vomit. The continued suicide attempts and constant stress and anxiety led Michael to develop a bedwetting problem. To make matters worse, his mother would hang up his bedsheets near the window for all to see, prompting Michael to run home from school in order to take them down before any of his classmates would see.

However, one bright spot was Michael's sporting abilities, particularly in the track and field sport of javelin throwing. In 1954, while he was in high school, Michael threw a 193 ft 4 in toss that was recorded as the longest throw by a high school student in the U.S. that year. His abilities led to an athletic scholarship at the University of Southern California, however, after some time there, injuries would end both his sporting and academic days. But as he was already in Los Angeles, Michael decided to give show business a go.

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While working at a gas station opposite the Warner Bros. studio lot, Michael gained the attention of a local agent named Bob Raison. He saw something in Michael, who soon after changed his surname to one he'd found in the phone book. From 1956, Michael began working in movies and television and found instant success landing minor roles. For the next few years, he appeared in numerous movies and shows, including "I Was a Teenage Werewolf," "High School Confidential," "God's Little Acre," and "The Legend of Tom Dooley."

He even tried his hand at music, when in 1957, a single titled "Gimme a Little Kiss (Will "Ya" Huh)"/"Be Patient With Me" was released on Candlelight Records, to capitalize on the success of his role in "I Was a Teenage Werewolf." On some of the records, he was credited as Michael Landon, while on others as "Teenage Werewolf." The record was even re-released in 1962, this time featuring him in his "Bonanza" role — which was airing at the time — on the cover. Two years after that, another single by him titled "Linda Is Lonesome"/"Without You" was released.

Then as the '50s were on their way out, Michael landed what would become one of his most iconic roles — Little Joe Cartwright on "Bonanza." The show became a huge success as one of the first series to be broadcast in color. Michael appeared on all 14 seasons of the show, which ran from 1959 to 1973. In the middle of its run, around 1964-1965, "Bonanza" topped the Nielson ratings and stayed there for three years.

By this point, Michael was a household name and he had spent the majority of his 20s and half of his 30s working on "Bonanza." But rather than taking some time off when the show ended in 1973, Michael got straight back to work — and landed himself a major role in another iconic series, "Little House on the Prairie." 

"Little House on the Prairie" was based on a book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, that was written in 1935. It became the second-longest running show that Michael appeared in and also ran for eight seasons in total, after becoming an instant success in its first season. Michael played the patriarch of a family living on a farm in rural Minnesota from the 1870s to the 1890s. The series was nominated for a number of Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. An actress who played one of Michael's on-screen daughters in the show, Melissa Gilbert, later spoke very fondly of him and likened him to stepping in as a kind of second father figure to her, after her own father passed away when she was only 11. She said in a 2015 interview:

"He gave me so much advice . . . the overall idea that he pounded into me, from a little girl, into my brain was that nothing's more important than 'Home & Family'; no success, no career, no achievements, no accomplishments, nothing's more important than loving the people you love and contributing to a community."

Whether appearing as part of famous TV families or having his own large number of children, for Michael, family was everything.

After "Little House on the Prairie" ended in the early '80s, Michael went on to appear in yet another well-received show titled "Highway to Heaven." He also worked on movies outside of these three hit shows, but they contribute the most to his iconic acting legacy. However, sadly, Michael's story came to an early end at the age of 54 on July 1, 1991, after he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just three months earlier. Before passing away from the disease, he went public with his diagnosis on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Beyond his acting legacy, Michael would leave behind a large family. Fathering nine children to three different women, Michael adopted his first two children when he married Dodie Levy-Fraser, as she had two young boys of her own — Mark Fraser Landon and Josh Fraser Landon. After getting divorced, Michael married Lynn Noe and the couple had five children together — a daughter that Michael adopted from Noe's first marriage named Cheryl Lynn Landon, and four biological children named Leslie Ann Landon, Michael Landon Jr., Shawna Leigh Landon, and Christopher Beau Landon. Then in his third marriage to Cindy Clerico, who was a makeup artist on "Little House on the Prairie," Michael had Jennifer Rachel Landon and Sean Matthew Landon.

One way that Michael's children have continued on their father's legacy is by advocating for pancreatic cancer research, especially Jennifer and Sean. The siblings are members of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which aims to raise awareness of the disease that took their dad's life. 

In 2014, Jennifer and Sean told personal stories about their upbringing in an interview with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in a bid to bring more awareness to the disease. Jennifer spoke about how Michael "loved to create adventure for us kids.” The youngest of Michael's children, Jennifer was 7 while Sean was just 4 when their father passed away very suddenly in 1991. Sean, who is now a real estate developer said, “I was too young to know he was famous, but I knew how fun and playful he was.” Suffering the loss of his father at such a young age, Sean admits to it making him stronger and more empathetic to others who may be struggling, and that those characteristics remind him of his dad. He added:

“He always wanted to help the underdog, which is ironic because I see pancreatic cancer as an underdog disease — it’s not as mainstream as other cancers, and it needs much more attention. A lot of people don’t even know what a pancreas is. I’m sure my dad would have wanted to reach out to those afflicted with this disease if he had been given the time.”

As Michael didn't have much time to actively spread awareness of pancreatic cancer — although speaking openly about his diagnosis on live television with Johnny Carson was a major moment in which he brought attention to the disease — his children are doing so in honor of him now. They say that it will always be an important issue for them to campaign for and that it's one way for them to stay connected with their father.   

Another way in which Michael's children are choosing to honor their father's legacy is by working in the film and television industry. In fact, a few of his children chose to follow in his career footsteps, including his eldest son Mark, Leslie, Michael Jr., Christopher, and Jennifer. Michael's son Michael Landon Jr. has certainly followed right in his father's footsteps with a prolific acting career. Michael Landon Jr. has been acting since he was just 13 years old, starring as 'Jim' in Little House on the Prairie in 1977. Harkening back to his father's work on Bonanza, Michael Landon Jr. played the character of Benjamin 'Benj' Cartwright on Bonanza: The Next Generation in 1988. 

In an interview with Fox News from back in 2014, Michael Landon Jr. discussed how much he looked up to his father and idolized him. When asked about his favorite show, he harkened back to his time with his father on-screen in 'Little House,' as he said:

"It was a bonding experience and I was so proud of my father and the work he did. When he was ill, the amount of letters that poured in thanking him, it was overwhelming. He touched so many people's lives in such a good way. How many people are able to say that now?"

He went on to talk about his father as a role model: 

"In my eyes my father was perfect and everybody around me was affirming that as well. Listen, we all go through that to a certain degree. It was heightened and exaggerated for me when you have the perfect father on TV. The hard part was when it separated itself. I had the most amazing childhood. I'm grateful to my father and mother for my childhood."

However, Michael Jr. also spoke about how it was hard growing up not only in the shadow of his father but also with his very same name. He said:

"Obviously, you walk for a while in the shadow of your father. This doesn't just go for juniors, it's anyone whose father is successful. You have to get past the sense of entitlement and all the different things that come with it so you end up working really hard, honing on your own craft, creating your own content and your own vision. Listen I grew up in Beverly Hills on seven acres in a mansion with all sorts of help. It was unbelievable."

However, he also emphasizes how being Michael Landon's son certainly also has it's perks, as he said:

"Oh yeah. There were some very humbling moments. I remember working at an Italian restaurant called Giuseppe's and there'd be a spilled drink and the owner would call me over, tell me to clean it up, and as I was walking away he would tell all the patrons at the table, 'That's Michael Landon's son working for me.' But I thank God for that."

Michael was an incredible man whose legacy lives on through his acting work but also through his children, who spend their time campaigning for a good cause in his honor and continuing his Hollywood legacy. And from what we know, family was of the utmost importance to him. We're sure that if he could see his children today, he'd be incredibly proud.  

Did you know Michael Landon had so many children, including his incredibly handsome son Michael Landon Jr.? Pass on Michael's life story to those you know, so that they can learn more about the tragic disease that took his life too soon.

If you or anybody you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please call Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.