Dirk Blocker has been in the film and TV business for 40 years, but prior to "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" he had never quite made a name for himself. The name Blocker was always his dad's.

Dirk is the son of Dan Blocker, who played the big, big-hearted and big-hatted Hoss Cartwright on the western classic "Bonanza."

In fact, Dirk's first taste of TV came when he was an extra on "Bonanza." He was only supposed to be on set to hang out with his dad, who he says was so busy at the time that he brought his kids to work just to be able to spend time with them.

He's since appeared on dozens of shows and films. His most notable other role was a regular on the Second World War series "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (released later as "Black Sheep Squadron") from 1976 to 1978.

Dirk returned to "Bonanza," in a way, years later in a couple of made-for-TV films: "Bonanza: The Return" (1993) and "Bonanza: Under Attack" (1995). He also hosted a retrospective clip show in 1993 called "Back to Bonanza," along with Michael Landon Jr. (whose father, of course, starred on the original series along with Dirk's dad).

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