Former teen acting star, Stewart Peterson, has revealed why he left Hollywood for a more simpler life after 40 years in the industry.
The 63-year-old former actor was best known for his roles in Where the Red Fern Grows, Seven Alone, Pony Express Rider, Against a Crooked Sky and Rivals.
The truth is, Peterson was never enthralled by the life of glitz and glam that came with being a successful actor.
He gave it all up for the peaceful hillsides of Wyoming.
‘I just never liked the way people seemed to be so awestruck with people in the film industry,’ Petersen told Cowboy State Daily. ‘When the crowds would come around and be pushing for autographs it was just something that I absolutely didn’t like. It had no appeal.’
Former teen acting star, Stewart Peterson, has revealed why he ditched the glitz and glam of Hollywood for a more simpler life after 40 years in the industry
The 63-year-old former actor was best known for his roles in Where the Red Fern Grows, Seven Alone, Pony Express Rider, Against a Crooked Sky and Rivals. He gave up Hollywood life for quiet living in Wyoming
Born and raised in a ranch in Cokeville, Wyoming, Peterson grew up in a faith-oriented family that valued the simple rancher life.
But at 13 years old, his uncle, Lyman Dayton, was the producer for an independent film project to translate the novel ‘Where The Red Fern Grows’ to the big screen, and asked Peterson to read the script.
‘I was hesitant, but he coaxed me, and I didn’t think there was no harm, no foul done,’ Petersen said. ‘And I read for him and thought, ‘Well, I’ve seen a real movie script.’ That was about as far as my interests went.’
That summer in 1973, his uncle asked Peterson to fly to California to read the script for the director. Although he initially refused, Peterson was persuaded when he was offered a free plane ride, something he had never done before.
After the trip, his uncle asked if he would do a screen test that was set up for him at Brigham Young University, to which Peterson reluctantly agreed.
Towards the end of that summer, Peterson was asked by his uncle once again to fly out for some additional screen tests with three other boys who were auditioning for the role of Billy for Where the Red Fern Grows.
‘I was apprehensive, but my brother said, “Stewart, you’ll be back in a few short days, at least you’ll get another free airplane ride out of it.” I looked at him and said, “Yeah, you’re right,”‘ he said.
While Peterson enjoyed his time with the other young boys at the audition, his competitive nature kicked in, and he was determined to get that part – a part he felt impartial to throughout the process.
‘I thought, you know, I’m not really interested in having the part, but I want to win. That’s kind of how I saw it, that if I won the part, I might achieve something,’ he said. ‘Little did I know that (after) I won the part, I (would start) thinking, ‘What did I get myself into? And I thought, ‘I’m not sure this is the road I want to travel.’
He landed the role, and before Peterson knew it, he was another star in Hollywood.
The young starlet had to start preparing for the role as soon as possible as filming would begin the next week. He began media training with his uncle, and learned the ins and out of the industry.
Born and raised in a ranch in Cokeville, Wyoming , Peterson grew up in a faith-oriented family that valued the simple rancher life
His uncle, Lyman Dayton, was the producer for an independent film project to translate the novel ‘Where The Red Fern Grows’ to the big screen, and asked Peterson to read the script
Peterson landed the role of Billy in Where the Red Fern Grows, which put him on a trajectory for a successful career in Hollywood
‘He said, “I would really like you to take your shoes off and start toughening up your feet,”‘ Petersen said. ‘Because the part required that I would be barefoot, and I had never in my life — being raised on a ranch — gone barefoot. That was another downer for me, but I thought nevertheless, “I will do that.”‘
Peterson filmed in Oklahoma for two months, and had an overall positive experience, surrounded by mentors such as veteran actor, James Whitmore, who played Billy’s grandfather in the movie.
He said he always felt protected by the cast and crew, and recalled when he had to recreate a scene in which Billy was attacked by mountain lions while hunting, which involved working with actual mountain lions.
‘I never had to be in any proximity to any of the mountain lions because of the way they would shoot the angles,’ he said. ‘They were very protective of my physical state.’
Where the Red Fern Grows was released in 1974, and Peterson already had more movies lined up.
Peterson was cast in Seven Alone along with his young brother and three younger sisters as they portrayed the Sager family who lost their parents on the Oregon Trail.
He played the role of the older brother whose mission was to protect and preserve his family through Oregon.
The movie was filmed around his hometown in the Wyoming mountains. Peterson said he enjoyed working with his family, as the role of a protective older brother came naturally.
Peterson was also cast in Seven Alone along with his young brother and three younger sisters as they portrayed the Sager family who lost their parents on the Oregon Trail
In the summer of 1975 he starred as Richard Boone in Against a Crooked Sky, and the summer after filmed ‘Pony Express Rider’ in Texas
He also said he appreciated the historical significance of the movie.
‘With me, everything was pretty contemplative to what if I could have been one of those people in the wilds and the wilderness at the perils of their lives,’ he said. ‘To this day I love that kind of history, I love to hear about people who had character and had the ability and wherewithal to endure the almost daily tragedies of the west.’
The summer of 1975 he starred as Richard Boone in Against a Crooked Sky, and the summer after filmed ‘Pony Express Rider’ in Texas.
Peterson said he never considered himself to be ‘acting’ as the roles were tailor made to who he was as a person.
‘Because of the characters that were chosen for me to portray, I never felt like I had to do a lot of acting. It closely mirrored my own behavior and experience of life,’ he said. ‘It was just me portraying me under the circumstances of what the story (or script) might have been.’
He was eventually offered more scandalous role, such as one of the Sackett brothers in The Sacketts TV miniseries. Peterson turned it down after reading the script as it involved being in a relationship with a woman and typical Western ‘partying’ on the Weekends.
Instead, he clinched a Wyoming wrestling state title at 145 pounds in his senior year of high school, graduated, and went on to study at Brigham Young University. He then went on a faith-based mission trip for two years to the Netherlands, studying the Dutch language and the county’s culture.
‘I also learned a lot about me,’ he said.
Upon his return, he played college football at Ricks College in Idaho, known today at BYU-Idaho, where he played for two years. That’s where he met his future wife, Chemene Goodwin.
Peterson turned down more scandalous roles that did not align with his personal beliefs
After turning down a role for the Sackett brothers TV mini series, he clinched a Wyoming wrestling state title at 145 pounds in his senior year of high school, graduated, and went on to study at Brigham Young University.
He met his wife while playing college football at what is known today as BYU-Idaho. They had six children together
He now runs a successful outfitting business and construction firm
He married Goodwin, returned to BYU briefly, and was offered him a partnership in an outfitting business in Cokeville, where him and his wife moved after they graduated.
While the outfitting business was not enough to provide for his family, his side hustle in construction proved to be his true passion.
‘I always had an interest in working with my hands and I loved woodworking,’ he said.
Peterson had experience building homes in Utah, and started his own construction firm.
‘When we moved back, that was the fit that not only helped us put food on the table, but it also helped subsidize my love of the outdoors as an outfitter,’ he said.
The actor-turned-carpenter eventually found success with Peterson’s Crooked Sky Outfitters, which was featured on MeatEater, an outdoor lifestyle brand that includes podcasts and a reality TV show.
Now a father of six, Peterson said all of his children have seen his movies and have copies of their own.
Peterson said his future plans include focusing on making more cabinetry and leading outfitting expeditions from July to October.
‘I continue to love to do what I do,’ he said. ‘I was raised up on a ranch, love horses and love to be in the mountains on a good horse, and as a result, I will continue to do that.’
He said that although he’s been scouted for other acting roles through the years, he does not feel inclined to return to the big screen anytime soon.
‘I probably have not been very encouraging to them that way. Everything would have to be exactly the way (I would) want it to be to feel comfortable,’ he said. ‘I just don’t want to do anything that would devalue my faith or my trust in God.’
