who played adam on bonaza
Continue reading the main story. Continue reading the main story. Pernell Roberts, the outspoken actor who played Adam Cartwright, the thoughtful eldest son on televisionâs seminal western series âBonanzaâ and who was the last surviving member of the showâs original family, died Sunday at his home in Malibu, Calif.He was 81.n obituary on Tuesday about the actor Pernell Roberts misstated the cause of death. His lawyer and friend Richard A. Stone said it was pancreatic cancer, not prostate cancer. The obituary also misstated the year Mr. Robertsâs son, Christopher, died.