Christopher Landon is a successful filmmaker who has worked on several horror and comedy horror movies, such as Paranormal Activity, Happy Death Day, and Freaky. But did you know that he is also the son of a famous actor? That’s right, Christopher Landon is related to Michael Landon, the star of Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven. Here’s everything you need to know about their family ties.
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Who is Michael Landon?
Michael Landon was born as Eugene Maurice Orowitz in 1936 in Queens, New York. He was a talented actor, writer, director, and producer who rose to fame for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza, Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie, and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven. He also created and starred in several other TV shows and movies, such as Father Murphy, Sam’s Son, and Us.
Michael Landon was married three times and had nine children, six of them biological and three of them adopted. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1991 and died at the age of 54. He was widely loved and respected by his fans, colleagues, and family for his talent, charisma, and generosity.
Who is Christopher Landon?
Christopher Landon was born in 1975 in Los Angeles, California. He is the youngest of four children from Michael Landon’s second marriage to Lynn Noe. He has three older siblings: Leslie Landon, Michael Landon Jr., and Shawna Landon. He also has five half-siblings: Cheryl Landon, Mark Landon, Josh Landon, Jennifer Landon, and Sean Landon.
Christopher Landon followed his father’s footsteps in filmmaking and studied screenwriting at Loyola Marymount University. He dropped out after three years to pursue a career when he was offered a writing job by director Larry Clark. He co-wrote the script for Another Day in Paradise with Eddie Little and Stephen Chin. He also came out as gay around that time, aware of the possible challenges he might face in the industry.
Christopher Landon went on to write and direct several films in the horror and comedy horror genres, such as Burning Palms, Disturbia, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U, Freaky, and We Have a Ghost. He is known for his witty, clever, and original stories that blend scares and laughs.
Christopher Landon is married to Cody Morris and they have two children: Beau Landon Morris and Radley Landon Morris. He is also the uncle of actress Rachel Matthews, who starred in his films Happy Death Day and Freaky.
How close were Christopher Landon and Michael Landon?
Christopher Landon was very close to his father Michael Landon until his death. He lived with him until he was 16 years old, when his father succumbed to cancer. He described his father as a supportive, loving, and fun person who taught him a lot about life and filmmaking.
According to Wikipedia, Christopher Landon said:
“He was an amazing dad. He was always there for me when I needed him. He encouraged me to pursue my dreams and he gave me a lot of advice on how to write stories. He was also very funny and playful. He would do things like turning the snow pink with strawberry Nestle Quik or dressing up as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.”
Christopher Landon also said that his father was accepting of his sexuality and never made him feel ashamed or unwelcome. He said:
“He was very cool about it. He just hugged me and told me he loved me no matter what. He didn’t care who I loved as long as I was happy.”
Christopher Landon has honored his father’s memory by naming his son Beau after him (Michael’s middle name was Beau) and by including references to his father’s works in his films. For example, in Happy Death Day, the protagonist wakes up every day to the ringtone of “Bonanza”, while in Freaky, one of the characters wears a shirt that says “Camp Crystal Lake Counselor”, which is a nod to Michael’s role in the film Friday the 13th.
Conclusion
Christopher Landon is related to Michael Landon by blood. He is his youngest son from his second marriage. They had a close and loving relationship until Michael’s death in 1991. Christopher followed his father’s footsteps in filmmaking and has become a successful horror and comedy horror director. He has also paid tribute to his father in his films and in his personal life.
