Michael Landon
American actor and filmmaker (1936–1991)
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Key Takeaways
- Michael Landon Sr.
- He is known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza (1959–1973), Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983), and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven (1984–1989).
- Early life, family and education Landon was born Eugene Maurice Orowitz on October 31, 1936, in Forest Hills, a neighborhood of Queens, New York City, New York.
- Eli was Jewish, and Peggy was Roman Catholic.
- In 1941, when Landon was four years old, the family relocated to the borough of Collingswood, New Jersey.
Michael Landon Sr. (born Eugene Maurice Orowitz; October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) was an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza (1959–1973), Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983), and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven (1984–1989). Landon appeared on the cover of TV Guide 22 times, second only to Lucille Ball.
Early life, family and education
Landon was born Eugene Maurice Orowitz on October 31, 1936, in Forest Hills, a neighborhood of Queens, New York City, New York. His parents were Kathleen "Peggy" (née O'Neill; a dancer and comedian) and Eli Maurice Orowitz. Eli was Jewish, and Peggy was Roman Catholic. Landon's sister, Evelyn, was born three years earlier.
In 1941, when Landon was four years old, the family relocated to the borough of Collingswood, New Jersey. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at Temple Beth Sholom in Cherry Hill. His family recalls that Landon "went through a lot of hassle studying for the big event, which included bicycling to a nearby town every day in order to learn how to read Hebrew and recite prayers." He said: "We were one of two Jewish families in a working-class town that had its share of anti-Semites." Years later he told an interviewer that he never went on a date when he was in high school "because no Christian father in the town would allow his daughter to go out with a Jew."
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