Majors got his big break when he beat out over 400 young actors , including Burt Reynolds , for the co-starring role of Heath Barkley in a new ABC western series , The Big Valley , which starred Barbara Stanwyck .
In 1965 , he got the role of Heath Barkley on the ABC series The Big Valley , with Barbara Stanwyck as the owner of the ranch , and mother of three of the Barkleys .