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Lee Majors – TV’s Strong Man - Page 2

© Dexter Wolfe

In 1964, he and his wife, Kathy, divorced and his son and ex-wife returned to Kentucky. His son later came back to the lights and is now a staring actor himself.

Lee continued to work as a park director until he tried out for the TV-series, Big Valley, staring the famous Barbara Stanwyck. He auditioned with 400 others, even against Burt Reynolds for the part of Heath Barkley. Singled out, he was given the TV role, which lasted for five years, ending in 1969.

Will Penny (1968) was his next major movie project while still doing the Big Valley. It stared Charlton Heston who was objectionable to co-staring with a TV actor. Lee continued up the ladder of success with the series The Virginian (or Man from Shiloh) which he played the character Roy Tate (1970-1971). He also played Jess Brandon, on the TV-series, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law (1971).

In 1968, Lee met Farrah Fawcett, a model, whom he married in 1973 after dating for five years. It was her beauty and his career that launched Farrah into the Hollywood glare as she took small parts in his new found success of The Million Dollar Man (four guest spots). Even his son Lee Majors II, guest spotted within the TV series Fall Guy (1981).

By 1975 Farrah’s career took off with a role in the movie Logan's Run and a reoccurring role in David Janssens' series Harry-O. Stardom for her really hit with Charlie’s Angels. [To learn more about Farrah Fawcett, see the article Farrah -- The Blonde Beauty] .

With 10 movie variations of Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man (from Bigfoot to Bionic Woman to the Return) Lee had made true TV success and he was a household name in America. Later he stared in Just a Little Inconvenience (1977) (TV), The Norseman (1978), and Agency (1980) to name a few before his next major TV-series, The Fall Guy, Colt Seavers the bounty hunter stunt man.

Lee and Farrah's marriage, known as ‘the golden couple’, tarnished quickly as Ryan O'Neil, Lee’s best friend, began having an affair with Farrah. Their marriage soon ended.

In 1984, Lee met his next love, Karen Velez, who became Playmate of the Year for 1985, and they were married in 1988. They had three children: Nikki Loren (1988) and twins Dane Luke and Trey Kulle (1992).

During this time period he stared in several movies like Tour of Duty (1987), Fire! Trapped on the 37th Floor (1991) (TV). Lee co-stared in the TV-series, Raven (1992 – 20 episodes) and Raven: Return of the Black Dragons (1992) (TV), as the character Herman 'Ski' Jablonski, an extravagant private investigator helping a former Special Forces agent.

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