Who Are ‘Bonanza’ Star Dan Blocker’s Children?
Dan Blocker, the actor best known for playing Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza, had four children with his wife Dolphia Parker: Dirk, David, Debra Lee and Danna Lynn. Each child took a different path, with two sons working in entertainment and the twin daughters choosing quieter lives.
Despite growing up in Hollywood with a famous father, they’ve each built meaningful lives that reflect strong values. Let’s learn a bit about all of them!
Debra Lee and Danna Lynn Blocker (72)
Carl Frith/TV Guide/Everett Collection
Debra Lee Blocker, born in 1953, is one of Dan and Dolphia’s twin daughters. She did not pursue a career in entertainment and has kept her life mostly private. Described by some sources as an artist, Debra has focused more on creative and personal pursuits rather than public attention. Debra eventually married and is now known by her married name, Debra Blocker Colton.
Danna Lynn Blocker is Debra’s twin sister, also born in 1953; she is the most private of the Blocker children. There is almost no public information about her, and she appears to have chosen a completely private life. Unlike her brothers, she never entered the entertainment business or gave interviews about her family or upbringing.
David Blocker (70)
David Blocker, born on May 4, 1955, built a successful career behind the scenes in film and television. Rather than becoming an actor, David chose to work as a producer. Over the years, he contributed to a number of major projects, including the films Frailty and Into the Wild. He also worked closely with director Alan Rudolph during the 1980s and 1990s.
His biggest accolade came in 1998, when he won a Primetime Emmy Award for producing the HBO movie Don King: Only in America. David tends to keep a low public profile, but it is known that he married Debra Dusay, daughter of actress Marj Dusay, and they have one daughter. While he rarely speaks publicly about his father, David’s work in film production shows that the Blocker family legacy in Hollywood continues behind the camera.
Dirk Blocker (67)
Scott Schafer/Fox/Everett Collection
Dennis Dirk Blocker, born on July 31, 1957, followed in his father’s footsteps as a performer, after visiting the Bonanza set and catching the acting bug early. Dirk’s first major TV role came in the late 1970s as pilot Jerry Bragg on the World War II series Baa Baa Black Sheep. Over the years, he appeared in a wide range of television shows including Little House on the Prairie, M*A*S*H, The X-Files and Walker, Texas Ranger. He also had small roles in films like Poltergeist.
Dirk found lasting fame much later, when he starred as Detective Hitchcock on the comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, from 2013 to 2021. Fans often commented on how much he resembled his father in both looks and voice. In addition to acting, Dirk earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and even considered teaching. He later published a children’s book titled Master and the Little Monk in 2017. He’s been married to actress Danielle Aubuchon since 1990 and they have two children together.
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