Eugene Maurice Orowitz was born on 31 October 1936, in Queens, New York City, USA of Jewish descent, and as Michael Landon was a director, producer, writer and actor, probably best known for being a part of the TV series “Bonanza” in which he played the role of Little Joe Cartwright. He was active in the industry from 1956 until his passing in 1991. All of his efforts helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Michael Landon? As of early-2018, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $40 million, mostly earned through a successful career on television. He was frequently featured on the cover of “TV Guide”, second only to Lucille Ball. All of his achievements ensured the position of his wealth.
Michael Landon Net Worth $40 million
At a young age, Michael’s family moved to Collingswood, New Jersey where he would later attend Collingswood High School. In school, he was a star javelin thrower and made the longest throw by a high schooler in the US that year. Eventually, he got a scholarship to the University of Southern California, but a tear in his shoulder ligaments ended his javelin throwing career.
Landon found his stage name with the help of a ‘phone book, and one of his first starring appearances was in the television series “Telephone Time” in 1956. The following year, he secured numerous film roles which increased his net worth; he was a part of “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”, “High School Confidential”, and “The Legend of Tom Dooley”, and also had roles on television including in “The Restless Gun”, “US Marshal”, “The Adventures of Jim Bowie”, and “Tales of Well Fargo” – he also had an uncredited speaking role in the television series “Cheyenne”. In 1957, he released a single entitled “Gimme a Little Kiss (Will “Ya” Huh)” which was often credited as the “Teenage Werewolf” due to the popularity of his role in the film.
In 1959, Michael then got his first starring television role in “Bonanza”, which was one of the first series to be broadcast in color. During the sixth season, the show would top the Nielsen ratings, retaining a top spot for the next three years. In 1962, he then forayed into writing his first script, and would make his first directorial work in the show six years later; during their final season, the ratings declined and the show eventually ended. He then joined the cast of “Little House on the Prairie” as Charles Ingalls, and that show would become highly successful as well.
His net worth increased even further, as it became Michael’s second longest running series. The show was nominated several times throughout its run before it eventually ended in 1983.
Landon then became a part of another successful program entitled “Highway to Heaven”, in which he played the angel Jonathan Smith, trying to earn his wings – he owned the show as he was the executive producer, writer and director. However, during the fourth season, the show dropped in ratings and would make a final fifth season run. After the end of the show, he moved to CBS and was the director of “Where Pigeons Go to Die” teleplay, and also worked on a pilot in 1991 called “Us” however, it never came to fruition due to his health.
For his personal life, it is known that Michael married Dodie Levy-Fraser in 1956 and they adopted a child together, but divorced in 1962. The following year, he married Marjorie Lynn and they had five children together including one from Lynn’s previous marriage, but they divorced in 1982.
The following year he married makeup artist Cindy Clerico and they had two children together. Michael was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1991 which was determined as terminal. He passed away four months after his diagnosis.
