Michael Landon's 9 Children Stayed Grounded Even After Inheriting His Massive Wealth

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While Michael Landon is remembered for his roles as Joe Cartwright on "Bonanza," Charles "Pa" Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie," and Jonathan Smith on "Highway to Heaven,"  he didn't just star in these long-running shows. Landon also wrote, directed, and, in the cases of "Little House" and "Highway," produced them, making the star very wealthy. That was a good thing because Landon had a lot of mouths to feed. Married three times, Landon was the father to nine children. When he passed away in 1991 at just 54, Landon left each of his children upwards of $10 million. But they haven't just lived off their inheritances; each of Landon's children has worked to keep his memory alive while building their own legacies.

Mark Landon, from Michael Landon's first marriage with Dodie Levy-Fraser, was an actor but died at 60. Cheryl Lynn Landon, who Michael Landon adopted after marrying her mother, nearly died in a car accident when she was in college, leaving her in a coma. Cheryl Lynn recovered from the accident and has written two books about her father: "I Promised My Dad" and "Michael Landon's Legacy." Leslie Landon joined her father on the set of "Little House," playing Etta Plum, but gave up acting and became a clinical psychologist. Michael Landon Jr. has followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a director, writer, and producer, best known for Hallmark's family-friendly Western drama "When Calls the Heart." Jennifer Landon portrayed Teeter on Yellowstone, following in her father's acting footsteps. Meanwhile, Josh, Shawna, and Sean Landon have mostly stayed out of the public eye.

Like many of his siblings, Christopher Landon also works in film and TV. But while his father and brother, Michael Landon Jr., are known for their feel-good productions, Christopher has made a name for himself as one of the modern horror movie masters. Christopher worked on several smaller projects before his big break came when he wrote the hit Shia LaBeouf thriller "Disturbia." Landon went on to write four "Paranormal Activity" movies — directing one — before writing and directing the horror comedy "Happy Death Day" and its sequel, "Happy Death Day 2U." While Christopher Landon's journey into horror is a distinctly different path than the road his father or siblings who work in entertainment took, it does fit into the family legacy. Michael Landon's breakout role was the titular werewolf in 1957's "I Was a Teenage Werewolf," and "Little House on the Prairie" wasn't afraid to dabble in horror, including the classic Giallo-inspired Season 7 two-parter "Sylvia" that Michael Landon wrote and directed himself. 

And while Christopher Landon seems to prefer to play in the horror genre more than any other, that hasn't stopped him from paying homage to his dad's work. Christopher co-wrote and, along with his brother Michael Jr., co-produced the 2021 "Highway to Heaven" TV movie. Christopher also directed and co-wrote the kid-friendly horror comedy "We Have a Ghost," which was partially inspired by his relationship with his dad. Christopher opened up to Variety, explaining that "my dad was very charming and outgoing and could be in his own way, a little manipulative, and did make huge mistakes ... And that's what I really drew from to shape and mold the Frank character."