Lee Majors Has 'Heart Of Gold,' The Actor Helped Wife Overcome Life's Tragedies: 'It Was A Nightmare'

Nov 26, 2021 by apost team

Lee Majors has been a pivotal figure in the film and television industry since the 1960s. He is best known as an actor in features like "The Big Valley," "The Fall Guy," and, most notably, in "The Six Million Dollar Man." However, Majors has starred in plenty of other works that fall under the action-adventure genre and has also showcased more of his range in other projects.

Despite suffering from heartbreak and having to overcome plenty of obstacles throughout his life, Majors seems to have never given up on his goals and aspirations. Majors worked as a stuntman and picked up small roles in television shows along the way before hitting his big break and making acting a full-time job and a long-lasting career. The man quickly became an action star as he continued to land more and more gigs in Hollywood. By taking on roles in other projects, Majors was later able to show off more of his personality and other talents, like singing and voice work.

He's been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry for well over 50 years and looks almost as stunningly handsome as he did when he was in "The Six Million Dollar Man."

His handsome looks no doubt played a role in his full love life, which includes four marriages from Kathy Robinson and Farrah Fawcett to his current wife, Faith Cross. While it may have taken Majors a while to find true love — he married Cross in 2002 while in his 60s — their decades-long relationship seems solid, and Majors has made sure to help his wife through her darkest days, including on the day when her sister died. We’ll take a look at their stable relationship, Majors’ love life and his long career.

Majors was born Harvey Lee Yeary on Apr. 23, 1939, in Wyandotte, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. He faced hardships early on and had to quickly learn a lot about the grieving process when both of his parents were killed in separate accidents before he was even two years old. His father died in a work accident before he was born, and his mother died in a car accident around the time he was 16 months old. Majors' aunt and uncle, Mildred and Harvey Yeary, adopted him when he turned 2, and he moved in with them in their home in Middlesboro, Kentucky.

Majors showed promise early on as he participated in many school activities and was a great student. He played football and ran track at Middlesboro High School before graduating in 1957 with a scholarship to Indiana University. Despite this, Majors decided to switch schools and transferred to Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, in 1959.

Once again, the up-and-coming athlete was faced with tragedy when he suffered a back injury while playing football that left him completely paralyzed for two weeks, ending his hopes at an athletic career. This injury is what led Majors to look for other hobbies, and he was bit by the acting bug. He began performing in plays at the Pioneer Playhouse in Danville, Kentucky, while still working on his education. He graduated from college in 1962 with a dual degree in history and physical education.

Two years later, Majors began working as an actor, landing his first role in "Strait-Jacket.” 

apost.com

The role was unfortunately uncredited, but Majors persisted nonetheless. He kept auditioning and working to make acting a full-time gig and picked up a minor role in "Gunsmoke" in 1965 and a part in "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."

It wasn't long before Majors finally found his stride and got his big break in the ABC western series "The Big Valley." The show was an instant hit and helped Majors receive more praise and recognition as an actor.

More opportunities presented themselves as time went by, and Majors was met with yet another show that would launch his career to new heights. In 1973, the actor was cast as the starring role in "The Six Million Dollar Man" as USAF Colonel Steve Austin, a former astronaut who had bionic implants. It was originally a television movie that aired on ABC, but the network expanded it and turned it into a weekly series the following year. 

"The Six Million Dollar Man" was extremely successful and received widespread coverage and acclaim, as it reached audiences in over 70 countries.

Despite such a hectic schedule and lifestyle, Majors remarkably found time for love. He married Kathy Robinson in 1961 and had one child with her, appropriately named Lee Majors, Jr. His son later became an actor himself and even starred alongside Majors in three of the "Six Million Dollar/Bionic Woman" television movies. Majors and Robinson parted ways after a short marriage and divorced in 1964.

Not letting heartbreak stop him from finding his one true love, Majors continued looking for his match and married Farrah Fawcett on Jul. 28, 1973.

Unfortunately, the two were not meant to be together and divorced a few years later, in February 1982. Although their marriage didn't last, their relationship will live on as it inspired the song "Midnight Train to Georgia." Seeing if three times is really the charm, Majors married Playboy Playmate Karen Velez in 1988. The couple had one daughter, Nikki, and two sons, Dane and Trey, together before they divorced in 1994.

The actor, now 82, looks just as amazing as ever and is still a household name. He is currently married to actress and model Faith Cross, as the two tied the knot on Nov. 1, 2002, and have been happily married ever since.

"(Majors) has a heart of gold, and that was it. The rest is history,” Cross said of meeting her husband in a 2016 interview with Fox. 

Majors’ “heart of gold” was on display when he supported his wife after her sister died in a car accident.

“We were in Vancouver shooting a movie called ‘Out Cold’ … and we got a call at midnight, and I had received the call and got the news,” Majors said in the same Fox interview.

“And I had to tell her. And it was probably the worst night of my life. It was a tough thing to get through … It was a nightmare that night,” he added.

Given that Majors appears to be a supportive husband — and that this couple just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary — it seems like these two have finally found true love after years of failed relationships. 

What do you think of Majors’ career and his love life? Do Majors and Cross seem like a good match? Let us know — and be sure to pass this story on to others.