Gradually, he began working as an actor in low-budget films. His experience with animals also brought him work as an animal trainer and handler in films produced by Walt Disney Studios. Haggerty directed white tigers, wolverines, eagles, and wild boars in the 1974 feature film When the North Wind Blows. While shooting the movie, the wild-haired Haggerty was forced to chase a tiger across a frozen lake – an event that garnered significant attention among everyone on set.

One of the colleagues couldn’t forget this incident and therefore suggested that Haggerty would be perfect in the upcoming film The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. The burly, amiable woodsman made a great impression and the low budget indie film was a success. Therefore, NBC wanted more.

A series was created, which aired from 1977 to 1978. It was a show with a clear concepts about nature. Haggerty starred as James Capen ”Grizzly” Adams and his connection with animals was truly magical. The role was a natural fit for Haggerty, and the series ran for 37 episodes, catapulting him to fame.

After the ending of the series, Haggerty starred in a 1982 TV movie titled The Capture of Grizzly Adams. However, his career faced a significant setback in 1984 when he was arrested for cocaine possession, leading to a 90-day jail sentence.

The actor was caught selling drugs to an undercover police officer, who was part of a task force targeting prominent figures in the entertainment scene in Los Angeles.

A few months later, Haggerty nearly killed himself in a motorcycle accident. While hospitalized, he was once again convicted in court, this time for failing to pay taxes.Fortunately, he managed to bounce back fairly quickly, and it appeared that his court-mandated community service prompted him to reconsider his choices.

”I’m trying to give back to the system. The system’s been good to me,” he told Los Angeles Times in 1987.

Dan Haggerty was an enterprising man. Already in the 1960s, he opened a leather shop in Los Angeles called “Cornucopia.” He also created a Cajun barbecue sauce that sold well in the California area. Overall, Haggerty had a genuine passion for food. He began cooking his own meals at the age of 17, shortly after getting married.

”I had to do it to survive,” he quipped.

In 1975, the actor moved to southern France for a brief period to film the movie “The Christmas Tree.” There, he developed a keen interest in food and befriended many local chefs. He took lessons at the Cordon Bleu School and learned the craft from the ground up.

In the early 1990s, he decided to open his own restaurant, Haggerty’s Bistro.

Located in Studio City, just over the hill from the Hollywood bustle, the French-inspired restaurant served a variety of dishes, including Haggerty’s famous “Log Sandwich” – sirloin steak sliced very thin, provolone cheese, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and Italian spices served in a fresh Italian roll.

The restaurant was operated by Haggerty’s wife, his brother Jim, and his eldest daughter Tracey. Haggerty’s primary focus remained on his acting career. He reprised his Grizzly Adams character in several TV series and made guest appearances on Charlie’s Angels and The Love Boat.

In 1991, he was involved in another motorcycle accident and crushed several bones in his body. Rumors circulated that he had died, but fortunately, that was not the case.