Who is Michael Landon Jr.? The ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Star’s Son Turns 60
Many know the late Michael Landon as the showrunner and star of Little House on the Prairie or for starring in shows such as Bonanza and Highway to Heaven. His personal life was often complicated as he was married several times and even had an affair with the makeup artist on the set of Little House, later marrying her. Even with the controversy, he remained a beloved star both on television and in his real life.
Landon had nine children altogether but today let’s focus on his son Michael Landon Jr. as he turns 60 today (June 20, 2024)! Landon and his second wife Marjorie Lynn Noe had four children together: Leslie, Michael Jr., Shawna and Christopher. Landon also adopted her daughter Cheryl from Noe’s previous marriage.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Landon Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps in many ways, while also paying tribute to the man who raised him. He went into acting, writing, directing and producing films and TV movies. In 1999, he worked on a particularly close-to-home project with the TV movie Michael Landon: The Father I Knew. Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider played Landon while Cheryl Ladd played Noe and Joel Berti played Landon Jr. The movie opened up about the emotions Landon Jr. faced after his parent’s tumultuous divorce and his father’s untimely death.
NBC/Everett Collection
While Landon Jr. has acted in just a few projects, including Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza: The Next Generation, he mainly focuses on being a producer. Currently, he is an executive producer on the show When Calls the Heart. He has also written and directed a series of Christian films, as he became a devout Christian when he was 18 years old.
Landon Jr. and the rest of the family also pay tribute to Landon by being involved in fundraisers and groups that help people with pancreatic cancer and help find a cure. He shared that they are very proactive with prescreening since it is a heredity disease and said, “Early detection is key. Grail, for example, is an incredible test that you can take to help screen not just pancreatic but over 50 other cancers. PanCAN recommends anyone with a family history get genetic testing to determine if they have an increased risk.”
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
In his personal life, Landon Jr. married actress Sharee Gregory in December 1987 and they share three children: Ashley, Brittany and Austin.
Remind 
Favorite TV Families
April 2019
Celebrate the best of the best of TV families!
Buy This Issue