Dan Blocker: DeKalb, Texas' biggest baby

Hoss is the boss.

Holy toledo that's one husky Hoss right there, partner!

It turns out that one doesn't just stumble into having a cool nickname like "Big Hoss" by accident. One must instead have the stats and measurements to back it up. And Dan Blocker? Well, he could definitely back it up.

He might've been the middle Cartwright, chronologically, but Eric was, size-wise, large and in charge. So big was he, that people assuredly forgot his name was Eric, on account of how frequently he's just called "Hoss." 

Dan Blocker, though, was Hoss' opposite in all ways but one. Whereas Hoss Cartwright was a well-meaning fool, Dan Blocker was an academic and had a master's degree in the dramatic arts. Hoss was a homebody and a pacifist. Blocker served in the Korean War.

But here's one thing both character and actor definitely have in common: Hoss and Blocker were definitely big ol' boys. 

Dan Blocker was an absolute unit from the day he was born. To this day, he holds the record as DeKalb, Texas' largest baby. Much to his poor mother's consternation, Blocker weighed in at 14 pounds when he was born.

That's a baby weight record in Bowie County, Texas that still stands today!

While he was on Bonanza, Blocker stood at 6 feet 4 inches and weighed about 320 pounds. Mama Mia! That's a hefty Cartwright!

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5 Comments

CoreyC 11 months ago
Most big actors are really gentle giants in public. Alan Hale Jr. comes to mind. He embraced being the Skipper and was really kind to his fans.
AnntheGran 12 months ago
My cousin. I never got to meet Bobby Dan, but he and my mom used to play together when they were kids.
Irish 12 months ago
Dan Blocker was one of my favorite actors. I always thought of him as a big lovable Teddy Bear!
He added so much to Bonanza. My favorite "Hoss"episode was the Leprechaun story. It was a sad day for Bonanza fans when Dan Blocker passed away. May he R.I.P. 🤠
AnntheGran Irish 12 months ago
Thank you, Irish. Yes it was. Some of our relatives stopped at our house on the way to Bobby Dan's funeral. We were unable to go, as my mom had her 1st heart attack the same day that Bobby Dan died. She survived, and lived for several more years.
I wish I could have known him.
Irish AnntheGran 12 months ago
I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this with us. 🙏
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