The Tragic Story of Dan Haggerty, TV’s Grizzly Adams
Dan Haggerty and his rugged beard became pop culture icons in the 1970s, when the actor and animal trainer gained fame for playing James “Grizzly” Adams on film and TV. On screen, he was the kind-hearted mountain man who befriended wild animals and taught audiences about living simply in nature. But while his TV persona seemed wholesome, Haggerty’s real life was anything but. During his seven decades, he faced multiple tragedies, was part of a company that got caught up in a fraud scandal, and even got busted for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer.
Haggerty was born in Pound, Wisconsin, on November 19, 1942. He was interested in all kinds of animals from an early age; according to a 1985 UPI article, when he was 18, Haggerty “paid $150 for his first wild animal pet, a lion cub he named Simba. He later kept leopards, wolves, bears, elephants and chimps on acreage in the Santa Monica Mountains.” He eventually found his way to Hollywood as a stuntman, animal trainer and even a motorcycle builder for the iconic 1969 film Easy Rider, while also playing a hippie in the film.
He soon began an acting career and was cast as a bodybuilder in the 1964 beach comedy Muscle Beach Party and again in the 1965 Elvis Presley musical Girl Happy. He found steady work behind the scenes, too, building sets and performing stunts, including on the 1966 television series Tarzan. His unique experience with animals also led to a career as a trainer for Disney, where he handled everything from white tigers to eagles.
How Did Dan Haggerty Become Grizzly Adams?
He got his big break in 1974 when he was cast as Grizzly Adams in the film The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, which later turned into a hit NBC series in 1977.
Everett Collection
What Happened to Dan Haggerty After Grizzly Adams Ended?
Though Grizzly was his signature role, Haggerty continued acting in both television and film throughout the 1980s and beyond. He starred in the NBC movie Condominium in 1980, alongside Barbara Eden and Ralph Bellamy, and guest-starred on Charlie’s Angels and The Love Boat. He also appeared in cult horror films like Elves and The Chilling. He returned to the wilderness theme in Spirit of the Eagle, Grizzly Mountain and its sequel Escape to Grizzly Mountain. Later in his career, he had a role in Repo Jake, a cameo in Big Stan in 2007 and even portrayed a lumberjack foreman in Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan in 2013. Along the way, he lent his voice to commercials and music videos and even appeared on the History Channel’s American Pickers in 2013.
What Were Dan Haggerty’s Personal Struggles?
Unfortunately, his personal life was filled with hardship. In 1977, during the height of his fame, Haggerty was severely burned after a flaming drink accidentally set his beard on fire during his 36th birthday party, leading to third-degree burns and a temporary production halt for Grizzly Adams. In 1985, his image took a major hit when he was arrested and convicted for selling cocaine to undercover officers; he got sentenced to 90 days in jail for the offense.
Everett Collection
The tragedies didn’t stop there. In 1991, Haggerty suffered a near-fatal motorcycle accident when his Harley slid under a van. He broke his pelvis, crushed his leg and required around 200 stitches for a head wound. He slipped into a coma for several days and underwent 18 surgeries over the years that followed. Then, in 2008, his second wife, Samantha, was killed in a motorcycle accident after colliding with a deer.
Later in life, Haggerty turned to television infomercials and product endorsements in an attempt to turn his life around. One of the products he pitched was a medical device called the PAP-IMI, which claimed to heal many medical issues and alleviate pain via electromagnetic waves. Haggerty appeared in the ads in exchange for free treatment, as he had ongoing pain from a metal rod inserted into his leg after the motorcycle accident. However, according to a 2007 investigation by the Seattle Times, the device had injured multiple people, and was pulled by the FDA. Though Haggerty didn’t know about the machine’s risks (and told the Seattle Times reporter that “he was upset that he hadn’t been warned” that it might “fry me like a piece of bacon”) and pulled his endorsement, his name unfortunately remained connected to the device in the minds of many.
In 2015, doctors discovered a tumor on Haggerty’s spine during back surgery. He was diagnosed with spinal cancer and fought until he died in Burbank, California, on January 15, 2016. He was 73 years old. While his life story was quite complicated, he will always be remembered as the kind mountain man in Grizzly Adams.
Remind 
Miniseries of the 1970s & 1980s
March 2024
The 1970s and 1980s were the glory days of the TV miniseries. In this issue we ranked the most significant and beloved miniseries of those decades.
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