Dan Blocker wasn't concerned with his weight while on Bonanza

He built his career on being big. Blocker wasn't concerned with his weight.

The Everett Collection

Amid a world filled with calorie counters, Bonanza's Dan Blocker stood out like a monument. At 275 pounds, Blocker wasn't thinking about a gluten-free diet, or any diet for that matter. Why would he? He built his career on being big. 

Blocker's physical stature, standing at 6 feet 4 inches, greatly influenced the portrayal of his character Hoss Cartwright. His imposing size helped contribute to Hoss's image as a gentle giant and as the most kind-hearted member of the Cartwright family. 

However, according to a 1962 interview with The Napa Valley Register, Blocker said he had gained a few pounds since his success in the series and while touring. In a world full of money, fame and free dinners, it could be hard to stay small.

"Trouble with those tours is everybody wants to feed you," Blocker said. "They give you a big breakfast and a big lunch and then a big dinner, thinking they're doing you a favor. You feel like a heel not to eat."

In the interview, Blocker admitted he could probably lose about 50 pounds if he gave up the beer and booze, but what kind of Western star would he be without a whiskey in a saloon?

"Can hardly remember when I didn't weigh at least 200 pounds," Blocker said. "Never worried me, though my folks thought about it. Once, when I was about 10 and weighed 200, they put me in the car and took me to a pediatrician in Lubbock, Texas. He examined me and said, 'There's nothing wrong with this boy; he's just going to be a big son of a gun.'" 

The success of Bonanza was due to a few things, but one of the biggest reasons was Blocker. No matter his size, he held a lot of weight in Western series. 

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7 Comments

Wiseguy70005 2 months ago
I hardly think Dan Blocker would gain much weight from drinking phony booze on a set. It's fiction, writers!
MikefromJersey 4 months ago
Wow, I thought there would be a lot of comments here as Dan Blocker had one of
highest "Q" ratings in history, right up there with legendary stars.
According to Parade magazine many years ago.
MaryMitch 5 months ago
During his final seasons on Bonanza, he was very large; they would often have him driving a wagon because he was too big to sit a horse for any period of time. He reportedly lost quite a bit of weight prior to his gall bladder surgery.
Coldnorth MaryMitch 5 months ago
I always felt bad for the poor horses he rode on.
MikefromJersey MaryMitch 4 months ago
In the episode where Hop Sing solves a crime using "chops" - fingerprints - Dan forgot
in one scene to wear his wig. Nobody noticed. Bonanza also features 2 episodes
with the same episode title.
What episodes were those? Never noticed in on Bonanza but Gunsmoke had several: Wrong Man (1957, 1966), Blood Money (1957, 1968), Jesse (1957, 1973), The Badge (1960, 1970), The Squaw (1961, 1975), Jenny (1962, 1970) and Prairie Wolfer (1964, 1967).
Trust me there are. I knew at the time I wrote the above but I have forgotten. I have written
notes on the margins of David Greenland's "Bonanza" book with the answer, but I can't access it
as I just had leg surgery and am severely limited using my walker, and can't use stairs.
If you do a "search" the answer should come up, if not ask me again in November when I am
supposed to be able to get around again.
Sorry.
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