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Mitch Vogel | |
|---|---|
 Vogel, circa 1970 | |
| Born | Mitchel L. Vogel (1956-01-17)January 17, 1956 (age 69) Alhambra, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1967–1978 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Mitchel L. "Mitch" Vogel (born January 17, 1956)[1] is an American formerchild actor, musician and director. As of 2023, he is one of two surviving main cast members fromBonanza, next toTim Matheson.
Having begun his professional acting career at age 10, Vogel is widely known for his role as the red-headed orphan, Jamie Hunter-Cartwright on theNBC western seriesBonanza, as well as for his feature film roles: as Tommy North inYours, Mine and Ours and as Lucius McCaslin inThe Reivers.[2]
Born inAlhambra, California, Vogel began acting at ten, appearing in stage productions ofTom Sawyer,Heidi,Peter Pan andThe Wizard of Oz.[2][3] As his acting career progressed, he attended Heinz Kaiser Junior High School inCosta Mesa, California, from 1969 to 1970 and later attended Jordan Junior High School inBurbank, California.
Vogel made his feature film debut at the age of 12, appearing in the 1968 comedyYours, Mine and Ours, as one ofLucille Ball andHenry Fonda's brood. He rose to prominence the following year as Lucius McCaslin in the feature filmThe Reivers, which earned him aGolden Globe nomination as theBest Supporting Actor of1969.[4]
Having established himself in feature films, Vogel briefly appeared on an episode ofBonanza broadcast on October 6, 1968, entitled "The Real People of Muddy Creek". Two years later he joined theBonanza cast, co-starring as Jamie Hunter, an adolescent orphan taken in and eventually adopted by the Cartwrights during the last three seasons of the series.[5]
In addition to his role onBonanza, Vogel also guest-starred on several other western television series of the time, includingThe Virginian,Here Come the Brides,Gunsmoke,Adam-12, andDundee and the Culhane, as well as appearing in a recurring role as "Johnny Johnson" on the western frontier seriesLittle House on the Prairie from 1974 to 1975,[6] after which he had a starring role in the 10th episode of the Saturday morning live-action show,The Secrets of Isis and guest starred onWonder Woman in 1978.
In addition to his guest-starring roles on episodic television series, Vogel also appeared in lead roles in theWalt Disney's Wonderful World of Color films,Menace on the Mountain in 1970 andThe Boy from Dead Man's Bayou in 1971, as well as co-starring in the made-for-television filmsBorn Innocent in 1974 andState Fair in 1976.[3][7]
In 1975 he played the character “Dink” on the TV WesternGunsmoke in the episode “The Hiders” (S20E15).
In 1978, Vogel left show business, forming a rock band and moving toPittsburgh. He married Christine Gilles in 1985; they have two daughters. Vogel lives inSouthern California and has spent time directing and appearing in church plays, as well as singing in a band.
In 2002, Vogel returned toBonanza's locations for theTravel Channel'sTV Road Trip, in which he narrated an account of his visit to thePonderosa Ranch inIncline Village nearLake Tahoe, Nevada. In 2004, he was featured in an interview inBonanza Gold magazine. He participated in both the 2005 Bonanza Convention and the 2010 Bonanza Weekend inLiverpool, England. Vogel was featured in an interview published online on January 19, 2017, in which he described how he had been cast for his part on Bonanza.[8]
