Lee Majors: The 80s action hero celebrates his 85th birthday

In Germany, the US actor Lee Majors (85) is best known as the super stuntman Colt Seavers from the cult TV series “A Colt for All Cases”. In the 80s, the series was an integral part of almost every child’s afternoon program between 1983 and 1987. When the title song “The Unknown Stuntman” played on ZDF, sung by Lee Majors himself, German youth sat together in front of the television sets to experience the next action adventure of the cool stuntman and bounty hunter.

Became a superstar as “The Six Million Dollar Man”.

In the USA, however, he became a legend years beforehand thanks to his role in the science fiction series “The Six Million Dollar Man”. Between 1974 and 1978 he played an astronaut and test pilot who is converted into a cyborg with superpowers after a devastating plane crash. While “A Colt for All Cases” (in the US original “The Fall Guy”) became a huge success in Germany, “The Six Million Dollar Man” was broadcast after its first broadcast in 1988 on RTLplus in the then TV Jungle, however, largely undercover.

At the height of his fame, not only Lee Majors’ series and films caused a stir, but also his marriage, which lasted from 1973 to 1982, to the actress Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009), who was best known at the time for her role in the crime series “Three Angels for Charlie” became an absolute sex symbol. His subsequent four-year marriage to playmate Karen Velez (1961-2023) also attracted a lot of interest in the tabloid press. In 2002, the actor entered into another marriage with the much younger model Faith Majors (49), which continues to this day.

Escape from Hollywood

After the end of “A Colt for All Cases”, Majors took a break from Hollywood and moved to Florida for around ten years to escape the hustle and bustle surrounding himself. “I just had to take a break,” “and while I was there I just did some small independent films. When I came back, I started doing a lot of independent films and a lot of comedies, like Weeds “Deals between neighbors”. That was good and in a way it felt like I was starting over again.”

At the same time, it was during this break on numerous trips that he really realized how well known his roles as Colt Seavers and “The Six Million Dollar Man” had made him worldwide. “It was amazing how many people came up to you – complete strangers in completely different cultures – just to say hello. That was very touching and amazing for me,” said the actor, looking back.

Supporting roles and guest appearances

Even though Majors continued to pursue his acting craft in the following decades, he wasn’t really interested in returning to the top league of Hollywood stars with his jobs. Most of these were supporting roles or guest appearances in television series such as “The Game”, “CSI: NY” or “Grey’s Anatomy”. Recently he has shone in the comedy-horror series “Ash vs Evil Dead” in the role of Brock Williams, the father of the main character Ash Williams.

Ryan Gosling takes over the stuntman reins

Just a short time after Lee Majors’ 85th birthday, his alter ego Colt Seavers will also be resurrected on the big screen from May 2nd. In “The Fall Guy”, the film adaptation of the 80s cult series, this time none other than Ryan Gosling (43) takes on the role of the daredevil stuntman and womanizer. Actress Emily Blunt (41) can also be seen at his side in the role of young director Jody Moreno. And of course star director David Leitch (48) ensured that series legend Lee Majors was also honored with a guest appearance in the “A Gun for All Cases” reboot.