Dan Haggerty

Dan Haggerty was the burly, bearded star of TV's "Grizzly Adams". He was born in Hollywood, growing up amidst the Southern California bodybuilding lifestyle. He had early roles in "Muscle Beach Party" and the Elvis Presley film "Girl Happy". His ease in working with animals got him work as a trainer and handler for Walt Disney films, and he found steady work as a stuntman on the Ron Ely TV show "Tarzan".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Haggerty was a free spirit, living in the Malibu Canyons with his animals while making his own furniture and clothing. He also worked as a set builder on films. He custom-made the motorcycles featured in the film "Easy Rider" and had a bit part as a hippie. He showed up in several low-budget biker films of the era as both a supporting player and stuntman before being tapped to play the outdoorsman in the independent film "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams". The picture was a surprise hit and spun off into a popular TV series that made Haggerty a household name.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While filming the TV series, Haggerty was burned on the face while attempting to consume an alcoholic drink known as a "Flaming Eddy". Haggerty was reported as inebriated at the time. The mishap delayed production of the tv show briefly during its second season.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His fame was fleeting, however, as a well-publicized drug arrest and motorcycle crash kept him from work. He appeared often during the late 1980s in the direct-to-video boom, but by the early 1990s devoted his energies to the Studio City restaurant "Haggerty's Bistro" and marketing his own barbecue sauce. He continued to work as both an actor and infomercial spokesman, though his rugged presence proved more enduring than any of his products.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was also featured as a character in Al Franken's novel, Why Not Me?.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grizzly Adams: Grizzly Adams is the main character from The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, a 1974 film. Produced by Sunn Classic Pictures, the movie spawned a television series of the same name in 1977. The title character was loosely based on an actual trapper, James Adams....

Hollywood: REDIRECT Hollywood, Los Angeles, California...

Bodybuilding: Bodybuilding is the process of developing muscle fibers through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest. Someone who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. As a sport, called competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel...

Dan Haggerty related Images and Photos (experimental)

Dan Haggerty - The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams	Dan Fouts	Dan Boyle	Dan Haren
Dan Uggla	Dan Boyle	Dan Boyle	Dan Uggla
Dan Duryea	Dan Marino	Dan Duryea	Dan Hampton