Of all the incredible costars Michael Landon had enjoyed acting with on the set of Bonanza, we’d probably say that our personal favorite costar was his pet tarantula, Homer. Cheryl Landon Wilson, author of I Promised My Dad: An Intimate Portrait of Michael Landon, paints a picture of varying periods through Landon’s career.
Wilson was still a child when her mother met Landon and married him, but she was able to get a firsthand look at Landon’s personality. Apparently, Little Joe was quite a prankster on set, and would often joke with those playing opposite him. Wilson recalled a particular prank on the set of Bonanza that involved Michael Landon’s pet tarantula, Homer.
She wrote, “He’d put Homer underneath his hat, and then, during the filming, he’d lift his hat and Homer would go scurrying down his face.” The prank was sure to shock fear into anyone, though victims were typically actresses filming scenes with Landon. Wilson stated, “Lots of actresses went scurrying off the set. Playing opposite Dad really kept people on their toes.”
That wasn’t the only animal-involved prank Landon utilized on the set of Bonanza. Wilson wrote that during kissing scenes, Landon would hide a frog or lizard between his teeth. She wrote, “He would come on the set with his jaw locked. He’d receive his instructions from the director and then take the leading lady into his arms. She’d melt toward him and he’d lean into her and open his mouth, and out from between his lips would leap a frog or a lizard or whatever small creature he’d put behind his teeth.”
Wilson added that Landon wasn’t alone in his love of tomfoolery. Apparently, Dan Blocker, also known as Hoss Cartwright, would often join Landon in his endeavors. So the next time you’re daydreaming about being saved by Little Joe or Big Hoss and they lean in to give you a bit romantic kiss, just know that there’s probably a small reptile just behind those beautiful teeth of theirs, and a big spider just underneath their cowboy hat.