"Bonanza" Star Pernell Roberts Dies At Age 81

January 26, 2010 8:43 a.m. EST

Malibu, CA, United States (CNS) - Actor Pernell Roberts, star of the Western series "Bonanza," has succumbed to pancreatic cancer at his home, his widow said Monday. He was 81.

The unfortunate news was told by Eleonor Criswell to the L.A. Times.

Roberts was best known as Adam Cartwright, the handsome eldest son of the Cartwright clan in the hit Western series "Bonanza." He played the role from the series' premiere in 1959 but left six years later after a disagreement with the writers.

An accomplished off-Broadway and Broadway actor, he returned on stage after his stint in "Bonanza." He also returned to the small screen in 1979 and starred as the titular character in the series "Trapper John, M.D." The show ran on CBS from 1979 to 1986.

He was the last surviving member of the Cartwright clan. Lorne Greene, who played the father Ben, died in 1987. Dan Blocker, who played the middle son Eric, a.k.a. "Hoss," died in 1972, while Michael Landon, the youngest son Little Joe, died in 1991, also from pancreatic cancer.

Roberts was married four times and had one child, Jonathan Roberts, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1989.