Michael Landon, celebrated for his roles on “Bonanza,” “Little House on the Prairie,” and “Highway to Heaven,” left an indelible mark on television. Yet, beyond life on camera, his real-life drama unfolded with a heart-wrenching battle against pancreatic cancer, deeply affecting his family.
In a February 1992 interview, Michael’s son Christopher, alongside five of his siblings, recalled being told about his dad’s cancer diagnosis and how the journey from then on affected him, specifically.
“I was in such a good mood. It was the Friday before spring vacation. I’d gotten an A on my English exam,” Christopher remembered at the time.
He was a junior at Los Angeles High then when his sisters broke the news that their father had cancer, a disease which led to his death three months later in July 1991, at age 54. Christopher expressed, “I could feel every nerve in my body, like it was all lit up.”
Similarly, Michael’s youngest daughter, Jennifer Landon, at just eight years old, faced the gravity of her father’s condition, a moment tenderly supported by her stepmother, Cindy Landon.
“Dad and Mom came downstairs with a nervous look on their faces. They told me,” an emotional Jennifer recounted during an interview. In that same interview, Michael’s other daughter Leslie Landon, admitted, “We miss everything about Dad. There isn’t a day [that] goes by when I don’t think of him.”
Meanwhile, Michael’s wife of eight years, Cindy, whom he was married to from February 1981, until his demise, was haunted by painful memories in the wake of his passing. “It was hard to get the images of when he was sick out of my mind,” said the former makeup artist.
Despite his frail state, Michael fought a good fight in his battle with cancer. He underwent experimental chemotherapy and preferred a “natural” regimen that included a vegetarian diet and acupuncture.
Leslie checked on him often during that time, as she would ask how he was doing. In response, Michael reassured his daughter that he was doing okay.
But it was not long after that the family received some more devastating news: Michael’s tumor in his pancreas had doubled in size in less than a month (as it had already spread to his liver).
For Christopher, the experience was considerably challenging. “I was the father and he was the son. I had to help him up the stairs,” he divulged. This role reversal was poignant for Christopher, who expressed a deep-seated sorrow and regret for things left unsaid.
He tearfully expressed, “I am sad sometimes…sad sometimes when I think that I never said. ‘Sorry.’ I never looked at him and told him that I was sorry he was losing his life.”
In his final days, Michael, who was a multi-millionaire, saw to it that his family would be taken care of once he passed. He reportedly prepared for his death by gathering his business staff and taping a video explaining how his fortune would be divided.
The father of nine was particular about how his children would benefit from his wealth as there was a foreclosure stating that any heir who contested the will, would forfeit their inheritance. However, things never reached that point as Cindy revealed the kids respected their father’s last wishes.At the end of June 1991, a nurse warned that Michael, who had lost 30 lbs and endured a lot of pain, had only a day to live at most. Cindy gathered the star’s kids to say their final goodbyes at the ranch.
They surrounded him in his bedroom, waiting for him to take his last breath. At that point, Michael was ready to go, said Leslie, who explained they told the family patriarch to “let go.”
“You could say a thousand goodbyes, and it would never be enough,” added her brother Christopher. Despite the children gathering around to bid their father farewell, it was Michael’s wife who was by his side when he passed away one afternoon. His last words were, “I love you,” said Cindy.
To deal with the loss, the family matriarch, along with the kids, went to therapy. Michael encouraged his spouse of eight years to move on with her life and embrace romance again.
Yet, at that point, Cindy was not ready for new love. She was comforted by the letters Michael had left her in a little book, about how to remain solid. These letters made Cindy at ease as she no longer woke up feeling alone following her husband’s death.More than that, she still sees Michael in his family. Christopher explained, “There is so much of him in all of us.” He even followed in his father’s footsteps by venturing into the movie industry.
Christopher Landon, born into the limelight, faced unique challenges as he navigated his identity and career in the shadow of his father’s fame. Despite early experiences of isolation and fear, he emerged as a successful writer and producer, known for films such as “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” (2014) and “Freaky” (2020).
Although his famous father also dabbled in acting, having starred alongside actress Melissa Gilbert on “Little House on the Prairie,” Christopher admitted that, unlike his beloved parent, he has no interest in acting.
“And that’s not to say that if I read a part that would be a lot of fun that I somehow felt connected to that I wouldn’t maybe give it a shot. But I’ve spent too much of my life sort of in front of people, and not by choice,” the Los Angeles native explained.Apart from his career, Christopher is also a husband and a parent. In April 2017, he announced that he and his partner, Cody Morris, who has over 2,000 followers on Instagram, had welcomed a baby boy together.
“A week ago today, our son was born. Insta meet Beau Landon Morris. He is the light of our lives. Get ready for endless posts…LOL,” the proud parent captioned his Instagram post alongside a picture of the newborn.
Christopher and his partner share two children, both boys. In 2020, Christopher gushed about his family on social media. On Valentine’s Day, he shared a family picture showing the two dads laughing while holding onto their kids. Later that year, Christopher made fun of one of the couple’s sons stating it seems like he dislikes taking pictures.
“To the love of my life…Happy Father’s Day,” the father of two wrote on his Instagram post, alongside a picture of Cody smiling while feeding the couple’s newborn son, Beau.
While raising his sons with Cody, Christopher’s health has also been at risk. In June 2021, he revealed on Instagram that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. “I was rushed into emergency surgery to have part of my kidney removed. I wasn’t going to post about it but I kinda need to because I got lucky and caught it early,” he explained.
Fortunately, the disease had not yet spread to other parts of his body. After sharing his diagnosis, alongside a photo of himself at the hospital, Christopher urged his followers to take care of their bodies and get checked.
He said because such diseases are silent killers, some of them can only be detected when it is too late. “I could have spent years walking around with this without symptoms. I’m so grateful to my doctors, my husband, my family, and friends,” said Christopher, while noting that he would overcome the disease.