Lee Majors Real Name and Early Life
Lee Majors real name is Harvey Lee Yeary. He was born on April 23, 1939, in Wyandotte, Michigan. Yeary grew up in Middlesboro, Kentucky, and later attended Eastern Kentucky University, where he played football and suffered a spinal injury that ended his athletic career. This injury shaped his path toward acting and stunt work. Learn more about his early career on his Wikipedia page.
The name Lee Majors became his professional stage identity, chosen to reflect a tougher, more memorable screen presence. The legal name Harvey Lee Yeary remained his official identity throughout his career in film and television. His background in sports and physical training supported his later roles as an action lead and stunt coordinator.
Major Roles and Television Career
The Six Million Dollar Man
Lee Majors starred as Steve Austin, a former astronaut with bionic enhancements, in the television series The Six Million Dollar Man, which aired from 1974 to 1978. The show was based on Martin Caidin's novel Cyborg and became a defining science fiction action series of the 1970s. The series spawned several television movies and a spinoff, The Bionic Woman.
The character's catchphrase "We can rebuild him" became a cultural reference, and the series helped establish Majors as a leading action television star. The show's production company was Universal Television, and it aired on ABC. The series remains widely syndicated and is cited in retrospectives on 1970s television by sources such as Forbes.
Film, Production, and Business Ventures
Film and Later Television Work
After The Six Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors continued acting in films and television movies, including roles in The Fall Guy, which ran from 1981 to 1986. He also appeared in numerous direct-to-video action films and made guest appearances on popular series. His production company, Lee Majors Entertainment, has been involved in developing action and sports-related content.
Majors has also been involved in business ventures related to fitness and action sports branding. He has participated in interviews and documentaries discussing his career, and his work is referenced in industry coverage by outlets such as Business Insider. His career is often cited in discussions of 1970s and 1980s television action stars.