Dana Daly

Action, sci-fi, Western drama. Lee Majors is a fundamental part of a well-rounded television experience. On April 23, he celebrates not only his 85th birthday, but also 60 monumental years in showbiz. His presence was so commanding that he was once hailed as the next Elvis Presley, albeit more blond. The comparison gets its point across, but there is far more to unpack that "blond Elvis" just doesn't quite account for. Lee Majors was born as Harvey Lee Yeary on April 23, 1939, in Wyandotte, Michigan. Initially, he was something of a jock, favoring football and earned a scholarship to Indiana University, where he dove headfirst into sports. He did the same when he transferred to Eastern Kentucky University and played in one game—but one fateful, very severe back injury left Majors paralyzed for weeks. His athletic career came to a crashing halt. But when one door closes, another opens wide. Lee Majors couldn't pursue football but his strong build earned him a lot of attention The actor started out on television with a memorable role in Gunsmoke / YouTube screenshot Majors found his footing again in film and TV, both around the same time in the mid-'50s. An article from the Associated Press gave Majors about as glowing a recommendation as any new star could hope for at the time. RELATED: Actor Lee Majors Tells All About How ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’ Affected His Life "He's 24, looks like a blond Elvis Presley, and has the build of a football halfback, which he once was," the article outlined. That's thanks to the physicality Majors still bore, borne from years of training and triumphing on the field. Even when his initial plans had been dashed, he spent the transitional period from athlete to actor as a recreation director. Majors stayed a very hands-on type of person. In fact, when he got his first big paycheck from The Big Valley, his first purchase might surprise a few people. "I bought a horse for myself and a color TV set for my folks," he revealed, "and there went the check for the pilot." There were many more checks to be had, though, which was good for Majors because he wanted to use his funds to take care of his mother and father. Lee Majors celebrates his 85th birthday while also marking the 60th year of a career even more remarkable than first realized Majors beat hundreds of other hopefuls for the role of Heath Barkley in the Big Valley / Ken Whitmore / TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection Today, Majors has an impressive film resume and an even more extensive television resume that he's still growing even on his 85th birthday. Everything from Gunsmoke to National Lampoon's TV: The Movie, The Six Million Dollar Man to The Fall Guy. But one of his biggest entries that made him a household name had a high likelihood of not working out for him. The Big Valley came during the Golden Age of Westerns, fueled by the promise of a rich cast of characters, abundant intrigue, sweeping landscapes, and, surely, talent aplenty. The production team wanted a full lineup of all the actors best suited for their final roles, and this was especially important when casting the Barkley family. Majors came back better, faster, stronger / Everett Collection They ended up having quite the selection pool for Heath Barkley. Roughly 500 hopefuls vying for the role, with Majors being just one of them. What's more, besides a decidedly uncredited role in 1964's Strait-Jacket, Majors had just one episode of Gunsmoke under his belt; he played Dave Lukens in "Song for Dying" not long before The Big Valley hit television. Majors was also coming off of an uphill battle with his agent, Mr. Clayton; first, the agent, who had worked with James Dean in the past, required Majors to take acting lessons before agreeing to work with him. Majors fulfilled his end of the agreement and the two partnered up. But Mr. Clayton was very particular about getting him work and outright refused to set him up with any bit parts. He is expected to participate in the upcoming The Fall Guy movie / (c) 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved "I can get you a bit role, but then you will be playing bits for the rest of your life," Mr. Clayton argued. Eventually, the waiting came to an end, Majors recalled, and "When he finally did arrange a screen test, it was for the role of Heath in The Big Valley." Jump to today with an 85th birthday milestone under his belt and six decades of stardom, Majors is as active as ever, doing voice work as well as film and television appearances, everything from Fuller House to Magnum P.I. to Guy's Grocery Games; he is also expected to play some role in the upcoming The Fall Guy movie, this one starring Ryan Gosling. Lee Majors celebrates his 85th birthday and 60th year in the industry / Birdie Thompson/AdMedia Happy 85th birthday, Lee Majors!