It might seem like a dream come true to win a role on a hit television series, but with great power comes great responsibility. This is especially true if you're following in the footsteps of someone as mighty as Dan Blocker.

Blocker was a mainstay on the hit series, Bonanza, until his death in 1972. Although Blocker was an integral part of the show and would undoubtedly be missed by fans, the cast and crew of Bonanza decided to continue the series after his death.

In the show's fourteenth season, Tim Matheson joined the series as Griff King, an ex-convict who is offered a fresh start. Like his character, Matheson was overjoyed at the opportunity for a new experience, but he had his own reservations about working with a cast of actors so soon after such a tragedy.

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"It's not easy to move into an established television series," said Matheson during an interview with The Times Herald. "Especially when you have to move into it under the circumstances in which I did. It's like moving into a new neighborhood where no one wants to talk to you. But once we got over that, everything was all right."

Luckily, Matheson's fellow co-stars warmed to him quickly, perhaps because of the actor's approach to the series.

"When I went into the series, I knew there were two things I could do," said the actor. "I could go on the set and tell everyone how sorry I was about Dan's death, but I didn't do that. They knew I was sorry about Dan Blocker's death. I didn't have to tell them. Everyone felt bad about his death. Instead of running around with a long, sad face, I went about my work in a professional way, and it wasn't long before I was accepted.

Matheson wasn't interested in attempting to fill the void left behind by Blocker.

"I didn't attempt to do the things Dan Blocker did," said Matheson. "I couldn't. There was some tension, but that was my fault because of my preconceptions about following the big man."