Why Did Adam Cartwright Disappear From ‘Bonanza’?
When Bonanza first galloped onto television screens in 1959, it became an instant hit. Viewers were drawn to the Cartwright family and their adventures on the Ponderosa, and Pernell Roberts, who played eldest son Adam, quickly became a fan favorite. But behind-the-scenes drama led the Cartwright family to break apart long before the hit show came to a conclusion.
Roberts came from the world of theater, and he took acting seriously. Before Bonanza, he had already won acclaim for his performance in Macbeth and had ambitions that stretched far beyond TV westerns.
So when the scripts on Bonanza began to feel repetitive and the character of Adam stopped challenging him, he started to question whether staying was worth it. While many actors would have considered a steady role on a top-rated series a dream come true, Roberts saw it differently and ended up leaving after the show’s sixth season. In his words, according to SlashFilm, “I left Bonanza because I wanted to expand as an actor. Playing the same character week after week no longer was a challenge to me. The money, was great, sure, but I had to decide if I wanted just the money or a chance to prove myself as an actor. I chose the latter and found that almost everyone thought I was crazy.”
TV Guide/Everett Collection
He also fought mightily with the powers that be about the scripts, according to MeTV, which quoted Roberts as saying, “I was in the series for six years. I fought with the powers about the scripts, character development, and other things. It got so I was upset the minute I arrived for work. that’s no way to live. I don’t have the psychological stamina to last under artistic compromises over a prolonged period of time. I get hostile and vindictive. It wears me down.” Roberts often felt like the dynamic between the Cartwright family was unrealistic and even infantilizing at times.
Lorne Greene, who played patriarch Ben Cartwright, encouraged Roberts to stay on the show. Greene told him that if he stuck with the series a little longer, he’d have the means to build his own theater and commission plays from writers like Tennessee Williams. Even so, Roberts just wasn’t willing to wait and left the series. His character was said to be “away at sea” to leave the door open in case Roberts ever wanted to return. But he didn’t; as the show went on, Adam was generally said to be traveling for family business.
Roberts went on to star in several stage productions, including a Broadway role in Mata Hari. In the late ’70s, he found success on TV again and landed the title role in Trapper John, M.D. Ultimately, he retired from acting in 1997 and passed away on January 24, 2010 at the age of 81 from pancreatic cancer.
Remind 
TV Westerns of the 50's & 60's
September 2021
’50s and ’60s TV Westerns roundup, celebrating the shows and stars of their golden age.
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