85°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

‘Grizzly Adams’ star Dan Haggerty, 74, dies

LOS ANGELES — Dan Haggerty, best known for his role in "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams," died from cancer early Friday morning in Burbank. He was 74.

The actor's manager Terry Bomar confirmed the news to ABC News.

His daughter, Megan, was using a crowdfunding site to raise money for his fight against "this bear known as cancer." She had raised about $10,500 toward a goal of $100,000.

Haggerty played outdoorsman James Capen "Grizzly" Adams, who befriends a bear he raises as a cub, in the 1974 surprise box office hit "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" and the TV series of the same name, which aired on NBC from 1977 to 1978. He later played Adams in another film (1981) and in a 1982 telefilm.

He also had small roles on other TV shows, including "Charlie's Angels" in 1981 and "The Love Boat" in 1983.

Haggerty was arrested in 1985 after selling cocaine to two undercover police officers. His career was further derailed following a 1993 motorcycle accident that almost claimed his life. He returned to his iconic role 18 operations and four years later in "Grizzly Mountain" and in a 2000 sequel.

He most recently appeared in 2013 films "Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan" and "Dead in 5 Heartbeats."

Aside from Megan, Haggerty's survivors include his other children, Dylan, Cody, Tracey and Don.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Top 10 things to do in Las Vegas this week

Reggae in the Desert, “The Music of John Williams” and NFL draft festivities lead the entertainment lineup for the week of April 19-25.

Chris Farley movie in the works, starring Paul Walter Hauser

A film about the life of legendary comedian Chris Farley is reportedly in the works, with Paul Walter Hauser signed on to star in the main role and Josh Gad set to make his directorial debut.