Dan Haggerty

Dan Haggerty was an American actor whose signature part was the title character in The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1974) and the NBC series that grew from it. Born in Pound, Wisconsin, he began with small bodybuilder parts in Muscle Beach Party (1964) and Girl Happy (1965), then did stunt work and took supporting roles in low-budget biker and wildlife films, including Angels Die Hard (1970). He also worked as an animal trainer and handler for Disney and directed animals in When the North Wind Blows (1974). The Grizzly Adams film led to the television series, which ran from 1977 to 1978, and he became known for portraying the nature-loving Grizzly Adams. He later appeared in Elves (1989) and played Tubby in Big Stan (2007). In Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan (2013) he was a lumberjack foreman. His honors included a 1980 People's Choice Award and a 1994 Hollywood Walk of Fame star.