'Grizzly Adams' star Dan Haggerty dies at 74

NEW YORK (AP) - Dan Haggerty, the rugged, bearded actor who starred in the film and TV series "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" about a mountain man and animal trainer, has died.

Haggerty died Friday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, according to his manager, Terry Bomar. Haggerty was 74 and had been battling cancer of the spine, Bomar told The Associated Press.

Haggerty, born in Pound, Wisconsin, had minor roles in such films as "Easy Rider" and the Elvis Presley musical "Girl Happy" before playing the title role in the 1974 movie about Grizzly Adams.

A short-lived TV show of the same name debuted in 1977. His other TV credits include "Charlie's Angels" and "The Love Boat."

Haggerty had a lifelong affinity for wild animals and worked as a trainer for Walt Disney Studios.