Lonny Green, who played the patriarch Ben Cartwright, was 44 when he first took on the role. He passed away on September 11, 1987, at the age of 72 in Santa Monica, California. Dan Blocker, who portrayed the lovable Eric “Hoss” Cartwright, was just 31 during filming but sadly died at the young age of 43 on May 13, 1972, in Los Angeles.
