Michael Landon and his family attend Third Annual Moonlight Roundup Benefiting Free Arts for Abused Children on July 29, 1989 at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California.Photo:Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Michael Landonnot only played a father onLittle House on the Prairie, but was also a dad to nine children in real life: sons Mark, Josh, Michael Jr., Christopher and Sean and daughters Cheryl, Leslie, Shawna and Jennifer.
Mark was born in 1948 to Michael’s first wife, Dodie Levy-Fraser; the actor adopted Mark when he and Dodie got married in 1956, and the couple later adopted their son Josh.
Michael also shared five children with his ex-wife, Marjorie Lynn Noe. He adopted her child Cheryl, and the pair had Leslie, Michael Jr., Shawna and Christopher together. The actor wed Cindy Landon in 1983, and the two had a daughter named Jennifer the same year. His youngest child and second with Cindy, Sean, was born in 1986.
When Michael was 54, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died on July 1, 1991 — three months after publicly announcing his diagnosis. At the time of his death, he lived with his third wife, Cindy, and two of their children — the youngest, Sean, was only a toddler at the time.
“He was a busy man burning the candle at both ends,” Michael’s daughter Leslie told PEOPLE in 2021 on the 30th anniversary of his death. “I think his own health got put on the back burner.”
In the days before his death, Michaelgathered all of his childrenat his home in Malibu, Calif., according to the 2019 showAutopsy: The Last Hours of….While they all kept vigil in his bedroom, Michael asked for privacy in his final moments. “I love you all very much, but would you all go downstairs and give me some time with Cindy?” Michael asked.
Here is everything to know about Michael Landon’s nine children.
Michael had a large blended family of five sons and four daughters
Michael Landon, his then-wife Marjorie Lynn Noe, daughter Leslie Landon and son Michael Landon Jr. attend the Fourth Annual People’s Choice Awards on Feb. 20, 1978 in Los Angeles, California.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Michael was married three times throughout his life. When he married Dodie in 1956, he adopted Dodie’s son from her first marriage, Mark. The couple also adopted son Josh.
Michael divorced Dodie in 1962 and married Marjorie in 1963. The actor adopted Marjorie’s daughter Cheryl. Together, the couple welcomed Leslie, Michael Jr., Shawna and Christopher. Michael and Marjorie divorced in 1982.
In 1983, theHighway to Heavenstar married Cindy, a makeup artist onLittle House on the Prairie.Together, they had daughter Jennifer and son Sean.
Michael’s illness made his children learn to prioritize their own health
Speaking to PEOPLE on the 30th anniversary of her father’s death, Leslie explained that all her siblings are careful about their health, prioritizing early detection of cancer or disease because they learned a hard lesson from their father’s sudden decline.
“Because we knew how my dad was with his own health, we kids do the opposite,” she told PEOPLE in 2021. “We’re like, ‘Something doesn’t seem right, let’s look into it.’ Information is power and it allows you to make choices about your health when you know what you’re dealing with. Fear tends to paralyze people.”
In fact, she said, doctors found a small, cancerous tumor on her brother Christopher’s kidney in 2021 and were able to remove it before it became a more serious issue.
During an interview withFox Newsin June 2024, Leslie described her dad as stubborn, especially regarding his health.
“I think if my dad was alive today, he would say, ‘Boy, I blew it. I really should have been staying on top of my health every year and making sure I was getting full checkups,' " she told the outlet, adding, “If you’re a caretaker, your main priority is your family. So, it’s very easy to put your health on the back burner.”
Cheryl inspiredHighway to Heaven
Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith in ‘Highway to Heaven’.Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty
Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty
In the aftermath of the accident, Michael said he made a promise that if Cheryl recovered, he “would do my best to make a product to help people.”
Years later, inspiration forHighway to Heavenstruck when he was sitting in traffic on the way to pick up his kids. “Everyone was honking their horns and cursing … and I thought it would be good to do a show where people could see how much better and healthier it is to go through life being nice,” he told PEOPLE in 1985.
Michael worked with many of his kids on his shows
Michael Landon Jr. as Jim, Leslie Landon as Kate, Michael Landon as Charles Philip Ingalls, Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls Wilder and Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary Ingalls Kendall in ‘The Little House on the Prairie’ in 1976.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
Besides acting inLittle House on the Prairie,Michael also produced the show and directed many episodes, often including his children in roles.
Michael Jr. made a movie about his father
Michael Landon and his son Michael Landon Jr. attend the Third Annual Moonlight Roundup Extravaganza to Benefit Free Arts for Abused Children on July 29, 1989 in Malibu, California.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Christopher is a director and producer of horror movies
Christopher Landon attends the premiere of Netflix’s ‘We Have A Ghost’ on Feb. 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.Monica Schipper/Getty
Monica Schipper/Getty
Christopher has made a name for himself in Hollywood in the horror genre, writing, directing and producing films likeFreaky, We Have a GhostandHappy Death Day 2U.
In August 2023,The Hollywood Reporterannounced that Christopher wasslated to directScream 7,the next film in theScreamfranchise.
Jennifer stars onYellowstone
Jen Landon as Teeter in ‘Yellowstone’ in 2020.Cam McLeod/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Cam McLeod/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Jen has also had a long career as an actress, making her screen debut in an episode ofHighway to Heavenin 1989 with her dad.She went on to appear in almost 500 episodes ofAs the World Turns,and had roles onThe Young and the Restless, Days of Our LivesandFBI: Most Wanted.
Getting the part onYellowstonewas “really healing” for her, Jen toldCowgirl Magazinein 2023,because she watched her mother experience a terrible horseback riding accident when she was young, and it stopped her from riding.
Yellowstoneended in December 2024 after five seasons.
“What a journey it has been. Thank you to everyone who took the ride with us,” Jen wrote onInstagram, paying tribute to the hit show.
Shawna and Sean work together
Shawna and her younger brother Sean are both realtors in luxury real estate in Los Angeles, and have said Michael and their upbringing inspired their careers.
Shawna’sLinkedIn bioreads, “Shawna Landon knows a lot about big houses in Hollywood. As the daughter of a beloved actor and filmmaker, she has a unique perspective on luxury properties and estates.”
Sean’s bio page on theDouglas Elliman Real Estate websitehas a similar sentiment. “Sean Landon was born and raised in Malibu with deep familial ties to this special beach side community,” the bio reads.
Michael’s granddaughter Rachel Matthews is an actress
Michael Landon’s granddaughter Rachel Matthews attends the premiere of Disney’s ‘Frozen 2’ on Nov. 7, 2019 in Hollywood, California.Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
Rachel Matthews, the daughter of Leslie and her husband Brian Matthews, made her screen debut in her uncle Christopher’s 2017 movieHappy Death Day.
Since then, she’s reprised that role inHappy Death Day 2U,voiced a role inFrozen IIand appeared in movies likeDo Revenge.
The family spoke about their grief over Michael’s death
Michael Landon, son Sean Landon and daughter Jennifer Landon attend ‘The Wizard’ Universal City Premiere on Dec. 2, 1989.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
The close-knit family was rocked when Michael died in 1991 but leaned on each other for support. The older siblings, especially, helped care for the younger ones, as Jen and Sean were both under 10 when Michael died.
“Dad loved to bring in fantasy play and pretending, which is a lot of what we do with the little ones still,” Leslie told PEOPLE in 1992, a year after Michael’s death. “There are games that I play with them that Dad taught Mike Jr. and me when we were little — like African safari in the pool.”
Michael’s eldest, Mark (who died in 2009), was in his 40s when his father died. “He really showed us how to handle death,” he told PEOPLE. “I’d want to go with dignity, like he did.”
“He was my mentor and one of the greatest influences on my life,” she wrote. Gilbert played Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Michael played Wilder’s father, Pa. “Mike was also a husband, brother, father, grandfather and friend when he died those 31 years ago. His death left an enormous hole in the lives of those of us who knew him personally.”
Cheryl Landon at CBS Studios on Nov. 6, 1999.Andrew Shawaf/Getty
Andrew Shawaf/Getty
In a 2023 interview withThe Coronado News,Cheryl explained that she didn’t know about the promise Michael made after her 1973 car accident. “I looked at him [on his deathbed] and said, ‘you made this promise over my life?’ ” she recounted to the outlet. “And he squeezed my hand; he said: ‘We don’t know how to love each other; we’ve forgotten.’ ”
source: people.com
