Michael Landon was part of some of television’s most famous families, making him something of an authority on TV dads.

On Bonanza, Landon played one of the Cartwright sons, Little Joe, giving him a front-row seat to one of television’s most memorable fathers: Ben Cartwright, played by Lorne Greene.

When Bonanza ended after 14 seasons, Landon joined the cast of Little House on the Prairie, where he became the patriarch of his own TV family.

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Landon understood what it took to portray a great dad. More importantly, he recognized that being a strong father meant pushing past the stereotypes of what a dad was supposed to be.

In a 1971 interview with The Memphis Press-Scimitar, Landon shared his thoughts on Greene and the larger-than-life father figure he portrayed on Bonanza.

"It's easy to think that Lorne, who looks like the great father of us all, is all knowledgeable. But in fact, he is one of the most trusting, most loveable, most naive guys I know. I love him," Landon said.

Landon carried those lessons into his work on Little House on the Prairie, where he portrayed a father who wasn't afraid to show his emotions. He understood the importance of letting audiences see a more vulnerable side of fatherhood.

"It's important for little boys — and little girls, too — to see that Dad isn't all marble rock and strength," Landon said. "It's a great release for people to cry sometimes and to care about somebody other than yourself."

Landon offered a different kind of frontier father: one whose strength wasn't diminished by his emotions but deepened by them. On the prairie, being a good dad meant more than protecting the family. It meant showing up with an open heart, too.