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Lee Majors spent his first Big Valley check on a horse
Horseshoes aren't free, you know?
Beneath the glitz and glamour, Hollywood is all dollars and cents.
Actors are celebrated for embodying the intangible. They give us a way to feel real feelings about fake things. But their concerns are just as material as anyone else's. So, sometimes, acting choices are made for accounting purposes.
While it might seem like anyone who steps onto a Hollywood set is instantly a millionaire, the reality is less exciting. Take, for instance, Lee Majors. After appearing in just one episode of Gunsmoke, Majors scored his big break when he beat out 400 other actors to star as Heath Barkley in ABC's The Big Valley.
Starring in a huge network pilot is certainly something to be proud of. But it didn't make Majors rich like you might expect, especially because he wanted to do good for his parents.
Lee Majors provided The Pittsburgh Press with the details about not spending it all in one place.
"I bought a horse for myself and a color TV set for my folks and there went the check for the pilot," said Majors.
Fortunately, The Big Valley was a hit. Majors' parents, Harvey and Mildred Yeary of Middleboro, KY could tune in and see him on their color TV for four more years.
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Peter Breck who played Nick Barkley on the Big Valley. He loved horses too and had a close bond with
"Coco", the horse he is seen riding in the series. :