Dan Haggerty Net Worth
Dan Haggerty hails from Wheeling, West Virginia. He has appeared in a variety of television programs and was even cast in The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams as the titular role. Additionally, Dan is widely respected animal trainer who owns numerous wild species.
He is currently single. In 1959 he married Diane Rooker but divorced her by 1984. Subsequently he married Samantha Hilton and they had three children: Dylan (aged 21), Cody (23) and Megan (15).
Early Life and Education
Daniel Francis Haggerty was born November 19, 1942, either in Los Angeles or Pound, Wisconsin; other sources indicate his true birthplace to be Pound, Wisconsin. His parents wanted him to become a priest so they sent him to Culver City’s Franciscan seminary, however young Dan proved too stubborn for this goal and consistently escaped military school multiple times due to his extreme behavior.
His first film role came in 1964 with Muscle Beach Party, alongside Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Soon thereafter, he gained prominence when cast as mountain man Grizzly Adams for 1974 film The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams; reprising this character for its subsequent TV adaptation that ran on NBC from 1977-1978.
Film credits also include The Tender Warrior, Easy Rider and Chrome and Hot Leather. He was married to Diane Rooker from 1959 until 1984, giving them two daughters together named Tammy and Tracey. Later that same year, he married Samantha Hilton and had two sons with her named Dylan and Cody before Samantha tragically passed away from an automobile accident in 2008.
Professional Career
Haggerty made his film debut in 1964’s Muscle Beach Party as an unspeakable role. Subsequently he took on a bodybuilding role in Girl Happy as well as working as both stuntman and animal trainer on various film projects.
Haggerty made his mark with the 1974 hit film Grizzly Adams and its subsequent short-lived NBC television series of which he appeared as one of two seasons’ worth.
Daniel Francis Haggerty was born November 19th 1942 in Los Angeles to film technicians’ union official Donald Pual Haggerty and Ruth Elaine Leonhardt. Throughout his life he married twice – first to Diane Rooker in a Las Vegas wedding chapel known as Silver Slipper Hotel before they divorced four years later in 1984; secondly Samantha Hilton with whom he had three sons Dylan, Cody, and Megan as children from their relationship.
Achievement and Honors
Haggerty found his biggest breakthrough as an actor and stunt man in 1974’s Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. This movie’s tale of man living alone in the wilderness with an animal companion struck a cord with audiences, leading to an NBC series in 1977.
He played a minor part as a hippie in Dennis Hopper’s 1969 road movie Easy Rider and helped build its iconic motorcycles, in addition to doing stunt work in many low-budget biker films and providing fighting dogs for various movies and TV shows.
He guest starred on numerous TV shows and films such as Repo Jake, Elves, Grizzly Mountain: Escape to Grizzly Mountain and Big Stan before succumbing to spinal cancer at age 74 in California.
Personal Life
Haggerty initially began acting in beach pictures and biker movies before landing the role of Grizzly Adams. Additionally, he featured in horror and outdoorsy flicks. Haggerty loved animals, living on a ranch in Malibu Canyon with various wild ones that he either trained from birth or rescued due to injuries or accidents.
Haggerty first married Diane Rooker in 1959, producing two children – Tammy and Don. Following their divorce in 1984, Haggerty married Samantha Hilton the following year and together they had Cody, Dylan, Megan. Unfortunately Samantha died suddenly on August 10, 2008 due to a motorcycle accident.
Dan Haggerty was born November 19th 1941 either in Pound Wisconsin or Los Angeles California to film technicians’ union official Donald Paul Haggerty and Ruth Elaine Leonhardt. At 81, Dan is still active in acting.
Net Worth
Dan Haggerty reportedly has an estimated net worth of approximately $2.5 Million, earning his fame through roles such as those seen in Grizzly Adams the movie and later continuing as that same character on television series of that name.
His acting career began with non-speaking roles in beach movies and biker flicks; after appearing in Grizzly Adams he moved more towards wildlife-themed and horror pictures. Additionally he appeared in films like Easy Rider, Angels Die Hard and Frontier Fremont.
He was married twice; first to Diane Rooker from 1959 to 1984 and later Samantha Hilton until his death in 2008. With both partners, the actor was blessed with three sons from each marriage as well as one daughter by Samantha Hilton. Unfortunately, he was also known to be an avid smoker for much of his life and suffered a near fatal motorcycle accident in 1991 that nearly took his life.
