Pernell Elven Roberts Jr. (May 18, 1928 – January 24, 2010) was an American actor, activist, and singer who worked in theater, film, and television. He appeared in more than 60 TV shows and was best known for playing Adam Cartwright, the oldest son of Ben Cartwright, on the Western TV show Bonanza (1959–1965). He also played John McIntyre, the main character, on the medical drama Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986).

Roberts was also involved in activism throughout his life. He took part in the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 and worked to stop NBC from casting white actors in roles meant for non-white characters.

Early life

Roberts was born on May 18, 1928, in Waycross, Georgia. He was the only child of Pernell Elven Roberts Sr., a Dr Pepper salesman, and Minnie (Betty) Myrtle Morgan Roberts. During high school, he played the horn, acted in school and church plays, and sang in local USO shows. He attended Georgia Tech but did not graduate. In 1946, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served for two years. While in the Marines, he played the tuba and horn in the Marine Corps Band and was also skilled at playing the sousaphone and percussion. Later, he attended the University of Maryland but did not graduate. There, he first experienced acting in classical theatre. He participated in four productions as a student, including Othello and Antigone, but left school to work in summer stock theatre.

Professional theatre

In 1949, he performed in his first professional stage play, The Man Who Came to Dinner, with Moss Hart and Kitty Carlisle at the Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland. Later, he acted in two plays at the Bryn Mawr College Theatre in Philadelphia for eight weeks. He played the character Dan in Night Must Fall by Emlyn Williams and Alfred Doolittle in Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw.

In 1952, Roberts moved to New York City. He first performed off-Broadway in one-act operas and ballets with the North American Lyric Theatre, the Shakespearewrights, and at the Equity Library Theatre. Later, he appeared on Broadway in Tonight in Samarkand (also performed in Washington, DC), The Lovers with Joanne Woodward, and A Clearing in the Woods with Robert Culp and Kim Stanley. In 1955, he received a Drama Desk Award for his role in an off-Broadway production of Macbeth. This was followed by his performance as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. He later acted in Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, Dr. Faustus, and The Taming of the Shrew at the American Shakespeare Festival, and later on Broadway. He also performed in St. Joan (1954, Cleveland), Down in the Valley (at the Provincetown Playhouse), The Duchess of Malfi, Measure for Measure, and King John.

In 1956, Roberts returned to the Olney Theatre, where he starred opposite Jan Farrand in Much Ado About Nothing with the Players, Inc. group. That same year, he made his television debut in the episode "Shadow of Suspicion" of Kraft Television Theater. He later guest-starred in television shows such as Whirlybirds, Gunsmoke, Cimarron City, Buckskin, Sugarfoot, and Cheyenne.

Transition to film and television

In 1957, Roberts signed a contract with Columbia Pictures. He made his film debut in 1958 as one of Burl Ives’ sons in Desire Under the Elms. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. He also appeared in The Sheepman (1958) with Glenn Ford and Shirley MacLaine. Roberts guest-starred on television shows, including episodes of Shirley Temple Storybook Theater, Matinee Theater, and The Heart’s Desire. He appeared in Trackdown, Buckskin, and Zane Grey Theater. In 1958, he played Captain Jacques Chavez on Northwest Passage and appeared with Fay Spain in Tombstone Territory. He also played the lead villain Travis in Have Gun – Will Travel, a character who exploited Chinese laborers. This episode aired on April 11, 1958.

In 1959, Roberts guest-starred in episodes of General Electric Theater, Cimarron City, Sugarfoot, Lawman, One Step Beyond, Bronco, 77 Sunset Strip, The Detectives, and House Call. He also co-starred in the film Ride Lonesome. The film is considered one of the best B-movies starring Randolph Scott and directed by Budd Boetticher. Roberts played Sam Boone, an outlaw who interacts with Scott’s character, Ben Brigade. He also acted alongside James Coburn, who made his film debut in the movie. That same year, he was cast in Bonanza.

On Bonanza, Roberts played Adam Cartwright, the eldest son of Ben Cartwright. Adam was a university-educated architectural engineer, unlike his brothers. Roberts, who had experience in theater and classical plays, found it challenging to transition to a television series where he played the same character without changing costumes. He left Bonanza after the 1964–65 season, criticizing the show’s lack of diversity and its portrayal of family relationships. He felt his character, a man in his 30s, was forced to obey his father, which he found unrealistic. He also disliked the show’s simple storylines and called it “junk” television.

Later, Roberts denied making some strong statements about Bonanza, though he acknowledged its weaknesses. He questioned why three adult men would need their father’s permission for everything. He also criticized the show’s lack of mature themes and its repetitive format. Roberts wanted more complex stories and felt limited by the show’s structure. He left Bonanza after disagreements with writers and producers over scripts and his inability to work on other projects while under contract.

Roberts did not renew his six-year contract for Bonanza. His character, Adam, was said to have “moved away” after he left the show. Later episodes suggested Adam was in Europe or on the East Coast. Roberts’ final episode was “Dead and Gone,” which aired on April 4, 1965. He appeared in two more episodes filmed earlier: “A Good Night’s Rest” (April 11, 1965) and “To Own The World” (April 18, 1965). Adam was occasionally mentioned in later episodes, including one that aired in 1971.

Bonanza producer David Dortort described Roberts as “rebellious” and “outspoken,” but praised his acting ability. He later regretted not keeping Roberts on the show longer. In the 1990s, Bonanza movies showed Adam succeeding in Australia as an engineer.

Roberts was the only singer in the original Bonanza cast. He recorded a folk music album titled Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies, released by RCA Victor. The album includes songs like “Early One Morning,” “In the Pines,” and “They Call the Wind Maria.” The album is available on a Bonanza 4-CD boxed set.

Mixed theatre, film and television

After Bonanza, Roberts worked in summer stock theater, regional theaters, and television shows that allowed him to play many different roles. He performed in musicals like The King and I, Kiss Me Kate, Camelot, and The Music Man, as well as plays like Tiny Alice. He acted as Jigger in an ABC TV version of Carousel and appeared in a CBS Playhouse production called Dear Friends.

In 1967, Roberts starred in Mata Hari, a show produced by David Merrick and directed by Vincente Minnelli. The first performance in Washington, D.C., was disrupted by technical issues caused by limited rehearsal time. David Merrick warned the audience beforehand that the performance was a dress rehearsal, not a final show. By the official opening, the production received praise for Roberts’ acting, the music, and the set designs, but the co-star and other parts of the show were criticized. Some believed the show had potential to move to Broadway, but Merrick closed it instead of fixing the problems.

In 1972, Roberts returned to Broadway and toured with Ingrid Bergman in Captain Brassbound’s Conversion, where he played the main character. A review noted that his performance was strong and entertaining, and it was hoped he would achieve success beyond Bonanza.

In 1973, Roberts was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for his role in Welcome Home at the Ivanhoe Theatre in Chicago. That same year, he played Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind at the Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. His acting received praise, while other parts of the show were less well-received.

Other stage roles after Bonanza included Two for the Seesaw, A Thousand Clowns, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Any Wednesday, and The Sound of Music (as Captain von Trapp). He also performed in The Night of the Iguana while still acting on Bonanza in 1963.

In television interviews, Roberts said he would have stayed on Bonanza if he could have worked part-time to return to theater.

Roberts played the lead role of Jim Conrad in the 1971 TV movie that was a pilot for San Francisco International Airport, though the role was later played by Lloyd Bridges in the series. He guest-starred in many TV shows, including The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., The Virginian, The Big Valley, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, and others. He also appeared in miniseries like Captains and the Kings and Centennial, and in films such as Four Rode Out and Kashmiri Run.

In 1979, Roberts became the lead in Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986), earning an Emmy nomination in 1981. He played the role longer than Wayne Rogers had on MASH. Roberts told TV Guide* that he returned to television to ensure financial security after seeing his father age. A review noted the show allowed him to use his acting skills and address important issues.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Roberts used his Trapper John, M.D. character to advertise Ecotrin, a brand of pain relief tablets. He later appeared in films like Donor and Checkered Flag, and hosted CBS teams in Battle of the Network Stars.

Roberts enjoyed acting in different roles and gave seminars on theater, acting, and poetry at universities. In 1980, he reunited with his Bonanza co-star Lorne Greene for two episodes of Vega$. In 1988, he co-starred with Milla Jovovich in the TV movie The Night Train to Kathmandu. He guest-starred as Hezekiah Horn in the Young Riders episode “Requiem for a Hero,” for which he won a Western Heritage Award in 1991.

Roberts described television as a medium for directors and editors but was called a “born television actor” for his calm and natural style. He narrated documentaries, including Alaska, The Great Land (1965) and The Mountain Men (1999).

From 1991 to 1993, Roberts narrated the TV series FBI: The Untold Stories. His final TV appearance was in 1997 on Diagnosis: Murder, where he reprised a character he had played decades earlier on Mannix.

In his later years, after all his Bonanza co-stars had passed away, Roberts joked that he was “Pernell, the last one, Roberts.” He read Bonanza Gold Magazine and watched Bonanza reruns to feel connected to his old friends.

Personal life and death

Roberts married four times. His first marriage was in 1951 to Vera Mowry, who was a professor of theatre history at Washington State University and later taught at Hunter College. She also worked as a retired professor in the PhD program in theatre at City University of New York. Roberts and Vera had one child together. They later divorced, and their son died in a motorcycle accident in 1989.

Roberts married Judith Anna LeBrecque on October 15, 1962. They divorced in 1971. He then married Kara Knack in 1972, and they divorced in 1996.

At the time of his death from pancreatic cancer on January 24, 2010, at the age of 81, Roberts was married to Eleanor Criswell.