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Dan Blocker on the difference between him and Hoss Cartwright
Hoss Cartwright was one thing. Dan Blocker was another.
It’s easy to believe that every celebrity loves the perks that come with fame, but that’s not always true. Stars may enjoy the riches and status that come with their notoriety, but they also lose the privacy that so many everyday people take for granted.
As grateful as Dan Blocker was for the opportunities and fame that playing Hoss Cartwright provided him, the Bonanza actor was incredibly outspoken about the downside of celebrity.
Blocker spoke to the Los Angeles Times about those challenges. In the article, he explained that after playing Hoss for so long, he sometimes had a difficult time returning to his own personality.
"That may sound funny, but when you spend 10 to 12 hours a day pretending to be someone else, you start worrying about who you really are," Blocker said.
Blocker argued that it was important to keep the character and the actor separate, however challenging that might be.
"Don’t get me wrong," Blocker said. "I enjoy nothing more than portraying Hoss, and I hope to be doing it for years to come, but I also have to keep in mind that Dan Blocker is a man too, and the two have different ways of doing things."
There were also a few key differences between Blocker and his beloved character. Those differences helped him separate his life from Big Hoss.
"Hoss’ family consists of a father and two brothers who spend nearly all of their time together, but my family consists of a wife and four kids who don’t get to see very much of me anymore," Blocker said.
"Hoss’ problems consist of broken fences, cattle, lumber, gunmen, action and adventure. But my biggest problem is trying to get a little privacy for me and my family."
Blocker loved Bonanza, but he clearly missed the days when he could simply be a run-of-the-mill family man. While the article paints a somewhat sad picture of the challenges that came with his fame, Blocker was quick to make it clear that he planned to set aside more time for himself, his family, and the things that really mattered.
"Hoss may have to spend his time in the wide open spaces, but I’m going to spend some of mine catching up with the 20th century," Blocker said.
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