Pernell Roberts Net Worth

What Was Pernell Roberts' Net Worth and Salary?

Pernell Roberts was an American actor and singer who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. Roberts was best known for playing Adam Cartwright, the educated eldest son of Ben Cartwright, on the NBC Western series "Bonanza." He appeared during the show's first six seasons before walking away in 1965, despite its enormous popularity.

Roberts believed the role had become repetitive and objected to the idea that three adult sons continually needed their father's permission. He also criticized the series for its limited character development and lack of racial diversity. After leaving "Bonanza," Roberts returned to the stage and spent more than a decade appearing in television programs, movies, and touring productions.

He regained leading-man status in 1979 as Dr. John McIntyre on the CBS medical drama "Trapper John, M.D." The series ran for seven seasons and earned Roberts an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. His other credits included "Desire Under the Elms," "Ride Lonesome," "Mission: Impossible," "The Virginian," and "FBI: The Untold Stories." There is no reliable public record of Roberts' peak salary from either of his major television series.

Early Life

Pernell Elven Roberts Jr. was born on May 18, 1928, in Waycross, Georgia. He was the only child of Minnie Myrtle Morgan Roberts and Pernell Elven Roberts Sr., who worked as a Dr Pepper salesman.

Roberts sang in church and local USO shows, played the horn, and acted in school and church productions. He briefly attended the Georgia Institute of Technology before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1946. During his two years of service, he played tuba, horn, sousaphone, and percussion in the Marine Corps Band at Quantico.

After leaving the Marines, Roberts attended the University of Maryland. He became deeply involved in classical theater, appearing in university productions of "Othello" and "Antigone." He left without graduating to pursue acting professionally.

Stage and Early Screen Career

Roberts began his professional stage career in 1949 and later performed in more than a dozen productions with Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. He moved to New York City in 1952 and worked in off-Broadway theater, opera, and ballet productions.

His commanding voice and classical training made him particularly well suited to Shakespeare. Roberts won a Drama Desk Award for playing the title role in an off-Broadway production of "Macbeth." His Broadway credits included "Tonight in Samarkand," "The Lovers," "A Clearing in the Woods," "The Taming of the Shrew," and "The Duchess of Malfi."

Roberts moved to Hollywood in 1957. He appeared in the 1958 films "Desire Under the Elms," starring Sophia Loren, Anthony Perkins, and Burl Ives, and "The Sheepman," starring Glenn Ford and Shirley MacLaine. He subsequently played outlaw Sam Boone opposite Randolph Scott in the 1959 Western "Ride Lonesome."

Bonanza

Roberts achieved national fame in 1959 when he was cast as Adam Cartwright on "Bonanza." Lorne Greene played wealthy Nevada rancher Ben Cartwright, while Dan Blocker and Michael Landon portrayed Adam's younger half-brothers, Hoss and Little Joe.

Adam was the most sophisticated of the Cartwright sons. He had attended college, appreciated architecture and literature, and frequently served as the family's calm voice of reason. Roberts also displayed his baritone singing voice in several episodes.

"Bonanza" initially struggled in the ratings but became one of the most popular programs on American television after NBC moved it to Sunday nights. Roberts appeared in roughly 200 episodes during the show's first six seasons.

Despite the success and financial security offered by the series, Roberts became increasingly dissatisfied. He felt that Adam was not developing as an independent adult and publicly questioned why the grown Cartwright brothers constantly deferred to their father.

Roberts also clashed with producers over scripts, the show's simplistic storytelling, and its treatment of minority characters. When his initial contract expired in 1965, he left "Bonanza" at the height of its popularity. Adam was written out with the explanation that he had moved away. The series continued without Roberts until 1973.

Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, Lorne Greene and Michael Landon (Photo by NBC Television/Getty Images)

Career After Bonanza

Roberts returned to theater and appeared in touring productions of musicals including "The King and I," "Camelot," "The Music Man," and "Kiss Me, Kate." He returned to Broadway in 1972 to star opposite Ingrid Bergman in "Captain Brassbound's Conversion."

On television, Roberts became a prolific guest actor. He appeared on "Gunsmoke," "The Virginian," "The Big Valley," "Mission: Impossible," "Hawaii Five-O," "Ironside," "Mannix," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "The Odd Couple," and "The Love Boat."

Although he worked consistently, Roberts did not immediately find another role comparable to Adam Cartwright. His decision to leave "Bonanza" was frequently portrayed as a career mistake, but he consistently maintained that he had no regrets and had departed for his own artistic well-being.

Trapper John, M.D.

Roberts returned to series television in 1979 as Dr. John McIntyre on "Trapper John, M.D." The character originated in the novel, film, and television versions of "MAS*H," although the medical drama took place decades after the Korean War.

Roberts' version of Trapper John was the chief of surgery at a San Francisco hospital. The series dealt with serious medical, ethical, and social issues and allowed Roberts to play a mature authority figure with considerably more independence than Adam Cartwright.

"Trapper John, M.D." became a ratings success and remained on CBS until 1986. Roberts received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1981.

After the series ended, Roberts appeared in television movies and guest-starred on programs including "The Young Riders" and "Diagnosis: Murder." From 1991 to 1993, he hosted and narrated the documentary series "FBI: The Untold Stories." He largely retired from acting by the end of the 1990s.

Activism

Roberts was an outspoken supporter of the civil rights movement. In 1965, he participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery march in Alabama.

He also challenged racial stereotypes within the entertainment industry and pressured NBC to avoid casting white performers as characters from other racial backgrounds. His political and artistic views sometimes contributed to his disagreements with television executives.

Personal Life and Death

Roberts was married four times. His first marriage was to theater professor Vera Mowry, with whom he had his only child, a son named Chris. Roberts later married Judith LeBrecque and Kara Knack. His fourth wife was Eleanor Criswell.

Chris Roberts died in a motorcycle accident in 1989.

Pernell Roberts died from pancreatic cancer at his home in Malibu, California, on January 24, 2010. He was 81 years old and was the last surviving member of the original Cartwright family cast from "Bonanza."

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