Harvey Lee Yeary, known professionally as Lee Majors (born April 23, 1939), is an American actor from Wyandotte, Michigan. He is best known for his iconic television roles as Heath Barkley in The Big Valley (1965-1969) and Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man (1974-1978).
His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame recognizes a career spanning more than six decades.
Who is Lee Majors?
Lee Majors is an American actor and producer whose career spans from the 1960s through the present day. Born Harvey Lee Yeary, he grew up in Middlesboro, Kentucky, after being orphaned as a toddler and adopted by his paternal relatives.
He became one of the most recognisable television stars of the 1970s through his lead roles in two landmark ABC action series. His IMDb profile lists over 80 credits across six decades.
Majors received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his work on The Six Million Dollar Man in 1977.
Beyond his most famous roles, Majors built a body of work across westerns, action dramas, horror, and comedies. He remained active into his late eighties, appearing in Florida Wild (2026) and River of Angels (2026).
Early Life of Lee Majors
Lee Majors was born on April 23, 1939, in Wyandotte, Michigan. His birth name was Harvey Lee Yeary. His father, Carl, died in a work accident five months before Lee was born. His mother, Alice, died in a car accident when Lee was only 16 months old.
After being orphaned as a toddler, Lee went to live with his paternal uncle Harvey Yeary and aunt Mildred Poore, who raised him in Middlesboro, Kentucky.
As a teenager, he learned about his adoption and chose the professional name Lee Majors when he entered the entertainment industry.
He graduated from Middlesboro High School in 1957. He then attended Eastern Kentucky University on an athletic scholarship, excelling as a football player. A severe back injury during a college football game ended his sports career and redirected his attention toward acting.
Lee moved to Los Angeles in 1961 to pursue his acting career. His early years in the industry involved bit parts and uncredited roles while he developed his skills through stage work and auditioning.
Lee Majors Age
Lee Majors is 87 years old as of June 11, 2026, born on April 23, 1939.
His zodiac sign is Taurus.
In 2026, he appeared in the western film Florida Wild opposite Pierson Fodé, continuing an active career well into his late eighties.
Lee Majors Ethnicity and Nationality
Lee Majors holds American nationality, born in Wyandotte, Michigan, and raised in Middlesboro, Kentucky.
His ethnic background is White American.
He spent most of his adult life in Los Angeles and later Houston, Texas, where he settled with his wife Faith.
Lee Majors Height and Weight
Lee Majors stands at 6 feet 1 inch, which equals 1.85 meters.
His weight is reported at approximately 82 kg, which is around 180 lbs.
His tall, athletic build contributed significantly to the physical heroism required of his lead roles, particularly the stunt-driven action sequences in both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy.
Lee Majors Education
Majors attended Middlesboro High School in Kentucky, graduating in 1957. He then enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University on an athletic football scholarship.
At EKU, he played college football until a serious back injury ended his sports career. His academic background also included an interest in the dramatic arts, which he pursued after his football career ended.
He later moved to Los Angeles and studied acting through practical experience rather than formal drama school training.
Lee Majors Career
Lee Majors built one of the most successful careers in American television history across six decades, anchored by two of the most popular action series of the 1970s and 1980s. His path from bit parts to network television stardom unfolded steadily across the first decade of his career.
Early Career and The Big Valley
Majors made his acting debut in 1964 with uncredited roles in television productions. His first significant break came in 1965 when he was cast as Heath Barkley in ABC’s western drama The Big Valley.
The show starred Barbara Stanwyck and ran from 1965 to 1969. Majors played Heath as the illegitimate son of the Barkley patriarch, a character whose complicated family position gave him rich dramatic material to work with.
During this period, he also appeared in The Virginian (1970) and Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (1971-1974). His appearances in Owen Marshall were notable because Lindsay Wagner guest-starred, an appearance that later led to her role as The Bionic Woman.
The Big Valley aired for four seasons and cemented Majors as a viable television leading man.
The Six Million Dollar Man
In 1974, Majors landed the role that defined his public image: Colonel Steve Austin in ABC’s science fiction action series The Six Million Dollar Man.
The show ran from 1974 to 1978 and was based on Martin Caidin’s novel Cyborg. Majors played an astronaut whose body was rebuilt with bionic enhancements after a test flight crash, giving him superhuman strength, speed, and vision.
The Six Million Dollar Man averaged over 30 million viewers per week at its peak. The series spawned three television movie reunions: The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1987), Bionic Showdown (1989), and Bionic Ever After? (1994).
In 1977, Majors received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Television Drama Series for his work on the show. He also sang the theme song himself.
The show launched its own spin-off, The Bionic Woman, starring Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers.
The Fall Guy and Later Career
After The Six Million Dollar Man ended, Majors starred in The Fall Guy (1981-1986) on ABC. He played Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stuntman who worked as a freelance bounty hunter on the side.
Majors sang the show’s theme song himself, an arrangement recorded by David Somerville. The Fall Guy ran for five seasons and added a new generation of fans to his audience.
In 1983, Majors received the Golden Boot Award, recognising his contributions to western-themed entertainment.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Majors appeared in films and television shows including Scrooged (1988), Keaton’s Cop (1990), Tour of Duty, and the sci-fi horror film Numb (2007). He also appeared in recurring roles on Dallas, Weeds, Community, and the horror series Ash vs Evil Dead.
He received the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films Life Career Award in 2017, recognising his decades of genre work.
Recent Work
In 2024, Majors made a cameo appearance in David Leitch’s big-screen adaptation of The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers. The appearance symbolically passed the role to the new generation.
In 2025 and 2026, Majors continued working in film. He appeared in Florida Wild, a western-themed independent film co-starring Pierson Fodé, which wrapped production in late 2025. River of Angels (2026) also lists him as a cast member on his IMDb profile.
Majors has also continued making appearances at fan conventions alongside Lindsay Wagner, including scheduled appearances in 2025 at multiple science fiction and pop-culture events.
Lee Majors Filmography
Key television credits include The Big Valley (ABC, 1965-1969), Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (1971-1974), The Six Million Dollar Man (ABC, 1974-1978), The Fall Guy (ABC, 1981-1986), Tour of Duty (1989-1990), Dallas, Weeds, Community, and Ash vs Evil Dead.
Film credits include The Ballad of Andy Crocker (1969), Scrooged (1988), Keaton’s Cop (1990), The Bionic Ever After? (1994), Numb (2007), The Fall Guy (2024, cameo), Florida Wild (2025/2026), and River of Angels (2026).
Lee Majors Awards and Recognition
Majors received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Television Drama for The Six Million Dollar Man in 1977. He won the Golden Boot Award in 1983 for his contributions to western entertainment.
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a recognition confirmed by Wikipedia and multiple sources.
In 2017, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films honored him with a Life Career Award, recognising his decades of genre work across The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman crossovers, and later horror appearances.
He also received the TV Land Superest Super Hero Award for his role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man.
Lee Majors Wife
Lee Majors has been married four times. His first marriage was to Thelma Kathleen Robinson from June 17, 1961, to July 20, 1964. From that marriage, he has one son, Lee Majors II (born April 8, 1962), who later worked as an actor and appeared alongside his father in the Six Million Dollar Man reunion telefilms.
His second marriage was to actress Farrah Fawcett, from July 28, 1973, to February 16, 1982. Fawcett became one of the biggest celebrities in America during the years they were married, starring in Charlie’s Angels beginning in 1976. Fawcett passed away on June 25, 2009.
His third marriage was to former Playboy model Karen Velez, from November 15, 1988, to September 14, 1994. They have three children: a daughter, Nikki, and twin boys, Dane Luke and Trey.
Since November 9, 2002, Majors has been married to Faith Noelle Cross (Faith Majors), a fashion model and actress. They live in Houston, Texas. Faith and Lee do not have children together; she is stepmother to his four children from his previous marriages.
Lee Majors Children
Lee Majors has four children from his first and third marriages. His son Lee Majors II was born on April 8, 1962, from his first marriage. Lee Majors II pursued an acting career and appeared with his father in three Six Million Dollar Man reunion television movies.
From his third marriage to Karen Velez, Majors has daughter Nikki Loren and twin sons Dane Luke and Trey Kelley Majors.
All four children grew up primarily outside of the public spotlight. Lee Majors II is the most publicly visible, having shared screen credits with his father across several productions.
Lee Majors Net Worth
Lee Majors’s estimated net worth is $15 million as of 2026. His wealth comes from decades of network television acting, including lead billing on two landmark ABC series, film appearances, and residuals from the continued popularity of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy in syndication and streaming.
His estate also includes properties in Houston, Texas, where he and Faith Majors live. His ongoing convention appearances, cameo roles, and active film work through 2026 continue to supplement his income.
At the peak of his career in the 1970s, Majors earned between $40,000 and $50,000 per episode of The Six Million Dollar Man, making him one of the highest-paid television actors of that era.
Lee Majors Social Media
Lee Majors maintains an online presence through his official fan website at leemajors.co.uk, which is referenced in multiple verified sources as his official fan-facing page.
His wife Faith Majors operates an Instagram account under the handle @therealfaithmajors, through which updates about the couple are occasionally shared.
Majors himself does not maintain a widely verified personal social media account. Updates about his convention appearances and new projects appear through fan communities and verified entertainment news outlets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lee Majors’s net worth?
Lee Majors’s estimated net worth is $15 million as of 2026, built through over six decades of acting, including lead roles on The Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy.
How old is Lee Majors?
Lee Majors is 87 years old as of June 11, 2026. He was born Harvey Lee Yeary on April 23, 1939, in Wyandotte, Michigan.
Who is Lee Majors married to?
Lee Majors has been married to Faith Noelle Cross (Faith Majors) since November 9, 2002. He was previously married to Thelma Kathleen Robinson, Farrah Fawcett, and Karen Velez.
What is Lee Majors’s height?
Lee Majors stands at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 meters).
What movies and projects has Lee Majors been in?
Lee Majors is best known for The Big Valley (1965-1969), The Six Million Dollar Man (1974-1978), and The Fall Guy (1981-1986). He made a cameo in the 2024 The Fall Guy film and appeared in Florida Wild and River of Angels in 2026.
Where was Lee Majors born?
Lee Majors was born in Wyandotte, Michigan, on April 23, 1939. He grew up in Middlesboro, Kentucky, after being adopted by his paternal relatives as a toddler.
The Bottom Line
Lee Majors starred as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man, which averaged over 30 million viewers per week at its peak in the mid-1970s, and earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Drama in 1977. He reprised Colt Seavers as a cameo in the 2024 The Fall Guy film alongside Ryan Gosling.
He was born Harvey Lee Yeary in Wyandotte, Michigan, lost both parents before age two, grew up adopted in Middlesboro, Kentucky, and attended Eastern Kentucky University on a football scholarship before a back injury redirected him toward acting.
As of 2026, Majors remains active in film, appearing in Florida Wild and River of Angels, and continues making convention appearances alongside his long-time co-star Lindsay Wagner.
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