Dan Blocker played a gentle giant on-screen, and in many ways, he was just as kind off camera. He portrayed the fan-favorite role of Hoss Cartwright, who quickly became one of the best known characters from the Western series Bonanza.

He had undeniable talent, and coupled with his towering height, he was impossible to miss. 

In 1972, the Bonanza cast, who were in their 13th season on NBC, got some devastating news. At the height of his career, Blocker died while the Western was still on the air, causing major stress and shock within the entire Bonanza cast.

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Along with his family, those who saw him every day on set had the hardest time dealing with his passing. He wasn’t just a coworker — he was a friend, and even like a brother to his Cartwright family.

According to a 1972 interview with The Times Herald, several cast and crew members shared heartfelt words shortly after his passing.

"It’s like losing a real brother," Michael Landon, who played Little Joe Cartwright, said.

"Our personal relationship was like brothers, or father and son," Lorne Greene said. "It’s a great personal loss. Dan’s death is such a personal shock to me that I cannot put it into mere words."

For many, the words never fully came. It was hard to describe what Blocker meant not only to those around him, but to the series as a whole. His heart was as big as his stature. NBC president Julian Goodman echoed that sentiment at the time.

"He brought to his personal life the same high moral character as the role he played," Goodman said. "He was a man of great energy, but he was a gentle man who refused to allow his sons to own a gun or go hunting."

According to the interview, Blocker had a very private service and "private" was the way he preferred to live his entire life.

Though his time was cut tragically short, Blocker’s legacy lives on. Decades later, fans still remember him not just as a television icon, but as the heart of Bonanza.