Dan Blocker
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Dan Blocker aka Dan Davis Blocker (December 10, 1928 – May 13, 1972) was an American actor best remembered for his role as Eric 'Hoss' Cartwright in the TV western blockbuster Bonanza.
He was born in De Kalb in east Texas, the son of Ora Shack Blocker and the former Mary Davis. His family moved to O'Donnell, Texas near Lubbock soon thereafter. He attended Texas Military Institute and later graduated from Sul Ross State Teacher's College in Alpine, where he earned a master's degree in the dramatic arts.
Blocker held down various jobs as a high school teacher, actor and rodeo performer. He reputedly worked as a bouncer in a beer joint while a student. By all accounts he is remembered from his school days for his size of 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and weight of 300 pounds (136 kg), and as being good-natured despite his intimidating size.
Blocker was drafted and served in the Korean War. He later married Dolphia Parker, whom he had met while a student at Sul Ross State. All of their four children's names begin with a 'D': actor Dirk Blocker and producer David Blocker, and twin daughters Debra Lee (who studied to be a hairdresser) and Danna Lynn.
In 1972, Blocker died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism following routine gall bladder surgery in Los Angeles. The cast and crew of Bonanza were shaken by his death and it is speculated that the loss of one of the show's most popular characters hastened its end. Bonanza lasted another season, but the final season in which Blocker did not appear is the least-requested in reruns.
[edit] Trivia
- Once owned an authentic 1965 Chevrolet Malibu SS396 (with the sought-after Z16 option) when Chevrolet was the sponsor of the show where it aired commercials. The Blocker Chevelle has been in private hands since where the car has been shown at car shows.
- Played a facially disfigured android in the 1957 Three Stooges short "Outer Space Jitters."
- World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announcer Jim Ross affectionately calls many of the bigger wrestlers "Hoss" in honor of Blocker's character from Bonanza.
- Son Dirk Blocker and Michael Landon Jr. appeared in a Bonanza reunion movie in 1995, with Dirk playing a Virginia City journalist and Landon Jr. playing Little Joe's son, Benj Cartwright.
- Received partial ownership in a successful chain of Ponderosa/Bonanza Steakhouses in exchange for serving (in character as Hoss) as their commercial spokesman and making personal appearances at franchises. Though not as popular as they once were, a few of the restaurants still remain.
- His 6,000 square foot Tudor style mansion in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles is currently owned by Rob Zombie. [1] On a television interview Zombie claims to have had encounters with Blocker's ghost, though he may have been joking.
