Where To Watch
Shaving his beard created an identity crisis for Grizzly Adams' Dan Haggerty
Dan Haggerty’s iconic beard was part of his identity until an acting role in 1980 forced him to shave. Discover how this emotional transformation affected him and his family, and how he overcame self-doubt.
How do you see yourself? Is there a particular trait or look you recognize as you? Is your self-perception tied to something physical? Maybe it's a hairstyle or your eye color that makes you "you," to you! Some of us might even have a special article of clothing, like a hat or a type of shirt that just screams, "This is me!" whenever it's donned.
Millions of people knew Dan Haggerty for his beard. Unfortunately for him, beards come and go, especially in the acting world. And while shaving is a run-of-the-mill activity for most of us, for Haggerty, it felt more like follicular manslaughter.
Alas, in 1980, after years on TV's Grizzly Adams, a different acting role meant that Haggerty would have to trim his facial hair. It might sound overly dramatic, but this was a genuinely big deal for the actor and his family. Haggerty spoke with The Berkeley Gazette about the devastation wrought by his own hand and the resulting spiral into self-doubt.
"It was the first time in 19 years that I saw my face without a beard," he said. "And my daughter Tracey, who stood by when they sheared me, never had seen me without the full beard."
His wife was more to the point in describing the emotional toll the razor rendered...
"He was almost impossible to live with for several weeks, and he lacked the confidence, the self-assurance that is so necessary for him," she said. "But we kept assuring him he was the same guy he had been when he had the beard, and in about a month, things were back to normal."
The television film that necessitated the change, Condominium, may not be particularly well-remembered, but Haggerty seemed to enjoy the production nonetheless. At least, he had a good time when he finally adjusted to the change in demand on his acting skills.
"Condominium? I had a lot of fun with it, once I got into the role and the idea of that type of filming. The first day, I gave the script back to Robert Cinader, the producer, who is a good friend of mine. I just couldn't accept the fact that I'd be doing 8 and 10 pages of continuous dialogue. Sometimes I think that's more dialogue than I've ever done. And that's the first time I've worked on a soundstage, believe it or not."
Related
