Pernell Roberts Wiki, Bio, Age, Net Worth, Height, Career, Wife

Pernell Roberts was an actor and singer from the United States. Pernell Roberts is best known for his role in the western television series “Bonanza.” In addition, he has made contributions to the music industry.

Pernell married how many times?

Roberts had four marriages. In 1951, he married Vera Mowry, who was a professor of theater history at Washington State University at the time. Their marriage lasted only a few years. As a result, Jonathan Christopher Roberts was born to them, and he died in a motorcycle accident in 1989.

On October 15, 1962, he married Judith Anna LeBrecque. As a result, the marriage lasted nearly a decade before coming to an end in 1971. He later married Kara Knack, but they divorced in 1996. Similarly, he married Dr. Eleanor Criswell in 1997 and remained married to her until his death. He passed away on January 24, 2010, in Malibu, California, from pancreatic cancer.

Early Years

On May 18, 1928, Pernell Elven Roberts Jr. was born. He is from Waycross, Georgia, in the United States. Pernell was the only child of Pernell Elven Roberts, Sr. and Minnie Myrtle Morgan Roberts. Furthermore, his father worked as a ‘Dr. Pepper’ salesman. He discovered his love for acting while in high school, when he participated in school and church plays. As a result, he discovered his talent as a singer at the same time. He also learned to play the horn and sang at local “USO” shows.

Pernell enrolled at the ‘Georgia Institute of Technology,’ but did not complete his studies. In 1946, he enlisted in the army, and for the next two years, he served in the ‘United States Marine Corps.’ Furthermore, he was not divorced from his artistic self even while serving his country. As a result, he was a member of the ‘Marine Corps Band,’ where he played the horn and tuba. At the time, Roberts also had a thorough understanding of the sousaphone and percussion instruments.

His first exposure to classical theater occurred during his time at the ‘University of Maryland,’ though he did not graduate. His years there brought him closer to his dream of being an actor. He has appeared in four productions as a student, two of which were “Othello” and “Antigone.”

Professional Life and Career

In 1949, Pernell made his professional stage debut in the play “The Man Who Came to Dinner” at the “Olney Theatre” in Olney, Maryland. Soon after, he played at the ‘Bryn Mawr College Theatre,’ Philadelphia, as ‘Dan’ in Emlyn Williams’ ‘Night Must Fall’ and as ‘Alfred Doolittle’ in GB Shaw’s highly successful play ‘Pygmalion.’

His first claim to fame was as a performer in the theatre. In addition, he relocated to Washington, DC in 1950. He has worked as a stage actor for the first five years of the decade. Similarly, he worked at the ‘Arena Stage’ for two years, appearing in a variety of productions including ‘The Adding Machine,’ ‘Twelfth Night,’ ‘Taming of the Shrew,’ ‘Children of Darkness,’ ‘The Glass Menagerie,’ ‘Julius Caesar,’ ‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’ and ‘She Stoops to Conquer.’

Similarly, he relocated to New York in 1952 and began working on ‘Broadway’ and ‘Off-Broadway’ projects. Following that, he appeared in ‘Off-Broadway’ operas and ballets at prestigious theaters such as the ‘North American Lyric Theatre,’ the ‘Equity Library Theatre,’ and others. ‘Tonight in Samarkand,’ ‘The Lovers,’ ‘Merchant of Venice,’ ‘Doctor Faustus,’ ‘St. Joan,’ ‘The Duchess of Malfi,’ and ‘Measure for Measure’ were among the ‘Broadway’ productions in which he appeared.

More on his professional life

In 1956, Pernell made his television debut in the episode “Shadow of Suspicion” of the anthology series “Kraft Television Theater.” Following that, he made guest appearances in shows like ‘Whirlybirds,’ ‘Gunsmoke,’ ‘Buckskin,’ and ‘Sugarfoot.’ In 1957, Roberts signed his first film, “Desire Under the Elms.” Likewise, he landed a career-defining appearance in the ‘NBC’ western series ‘Bonanza’ in 1959. Roberts starred in the series for six years, and his appearance in this episode was the most talked-about of his career.

In 1963, RCA Victor released his folk album, “Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies.” ‘Shady Grove,’ ‘They Call the Wind Mariah,’ ‘The Water is Wide,’ ‘A Quiet Girl,’ ‘In the Pines,’ and ‘Sylvie’ were also among his best-known songs. His music was well-received. Ingrid Bergman’s Captain Brassbound’s Conversion’ brought him back to the stage in the 1970s.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he appeared in a variety of TV series and a few TV movies, including “The Wild Wild West,” “The Night Train to Kathmandu,” and “Donor.” His last appearance on television was in a 1997 episode of ‘Diagnosis: Murder.’ In addition, the western TV series ‘Bonanza’ was the most important project of his acting career. As a result, he stayed with the show for six years.

For his role in a ‘off-Broadway production of ‘Macbeth,’ Roberts received the ‘Drama Desk Award’ for ‘Best Actor’ in 1955. He was also nominated for an ‘Emmy Award.’ It was for his role in 1981’s “Trapper John, M.D.” in the category of “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.”

Social Media, Body Measurements, and Net Worth

He was 6 feet taller and weighed about 80 kilograms at the time. In addition, his hair was gray and his eyes were light brown in colour. There is no other detail about his body stats except these.

He didn’t have any social media accounts at the time. In terms of his salary, he had a net worth of $10 million.

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