Actor Larry Hagman, notorious and beloved as 'Dallas' villain J.R. Ewing, dies

[tammywammy]

Source: Dallas Morning News

Larry Hagman, the North Texas native who played the conniving and mischievous J.R. Ewing on the TV show Dallas, died Friday at a Dallas hospital. He was 81.

Mr. Hagman died at 4:20 p.m. Friday at Medical City Dallas Hospital from complications of his recent battle with cancer, members of his family said.

“Larry was back in his beloved Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved most,” the family said in a statement. “Larry’s family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time.”

The iconic role of J.R. Ewing metamorphosed Mr. Hagman’s life. He rocketed from being a merely well-known TV actor on I Dream of Jeannie and the son of Broadway legend Mary Martin, to the kind of transnational fame known only by the likes of the Beatles and Muhammad Ali.


Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20121123-actor-larry-hagman-notorious-and-beloved-as-dallas-villain-j.r.-ewing-dies.ece

[RKP5637]

1. OMG!!!

[roguevalley]

50. I agree :(

[ChazII]

2. Rest in peace, sir.

Condolences to your family and thank you for years of entertainment.

[randome]

3. And as director of 'Beware! The Blob!' Don't forget that one!

[struggle4progress]

15. Available on youtube!

[lexw]

57. Oh! I'm going to watch this! Thanks!!! (that intro is a tad drawn out, though). :)

[hlthe2b]

4. Oh, I knew this was coming, but damn.... I surely didn't want it to happen...

Larry Hagman, you were such an iconic figure for so very long. May you rest in peace.

[hlthe2b]

5. Apparently Linda Gray and Patrick Duffey were with him when he passed...

How very difficult that must have been for them, but I'm glad to read this...

[JeffHead]

6. RIP Major Nelson

[Egnever]

84. +1

[BlancheSplanchnik]

91. handsome!

That was a favorite show of mine.

[SoapBox]

7. Oh my...

RIP

[Graybeard]

8. I loved him as Jeannie's "Master".

Major Anthony Nelson, Astronaut. Jeannie always called
him Master even though she seemed to be in control
most of the time.

A fine actor who gave a lot of people a lot of pleasure.

RIP

[rainbow4321]

9. Someone posted a comment that he was filming a few weeks ago...

out in Rockwall (TX). "Dallas" resumed filming here in the DFW area in the last month so they were all back here.

Very sad. I'm glad we all got to see him again as JR with the reboot of "Dallas"...he had some of the best lines in the show. As someone who grew up watching the original Dallas, I would watch the reboot version as his son would try to out-do his dad in the trickery department...all I could think as I watched the episodes was "give it up, kid..."

[Ishoutandscream2]

12. Wow, I'm in Rockwall

Hadn't heard this.

[LongTomH]

10. I remember his performance as the President's translator in Fail-Safe (1964)

A great dramatic performance in a great movie. R.I.P. Larry Hagman.

Fail-Safe at the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB)

Fail-Safe at Wikipedia.

[FailureToCommunicate]

25. Thanks for the memory. That WAS a great part he played there!

[Tx4obama]

11. R.I.P. - very sad to hear. n/t

[Catlover827]

13. Sad

I think CNN and msnbc haven't picked this up yet (online, at least). RIP, good sir.

[alp227]

48. STILL NOTHING as of now on either website.

MSNBC is probably playing prison documentaries right now, and CNN TV is playing a rerun of Piers Morgan Tonight. I guess Thanksgiving weekend=too little staff at either channel to bring this breaking news.

CBSnews.com (Dallas was originally on CBS!) got nothing. Hagman's name doesn't appear on ABCNews.com or NYTimes.com right now. Only DallasNews.com (Dallas Morning News) put Hagman's face on the front page. Chron.com (Houston Chronicle) has a photo of Hagman under a larger box depicting the story of the I-10 crash. I guess right now the Texas media is making the biggest deal out of this story.

(BTW I have never seen an episode of Dallas...in fact I was born the year the show ended! That is how young I am, so I was not around during the "Who Shot JR" summer! And I don't have time right now to watch much TV anyway.)

[kentauros]

83. I've never seen an episode of Dallas, either.

Then again, I'm a Houstonian, so there's that whole Dallas / Houston rivalry thing going on...

I'll always know Larry for I Dream of Jeannie, S.O.B. and Failsafe.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Hagman

[alp227]

51. Entertainment websites do have Hagman death on front page right now.

Such as Eonline.com, TMZ.com, accesshollywood.com. and none other than FOXNEWS.com has reported the story and has a text link deep in its front page.

[graham4anything]

14. a major liberal supporter. Larry Hagman and Burgess Meredith best friends.

and he died in Texas.

Though he lived right on the beach near the Santa Monica Pier.

[tammywammy]

19. He'd been back in Texas for filming of "Dallas". nt

[graham4anything]

26. Really great continuation of the series last year. Wonder how they will deal with this in the show

Unlike most shows which rebooted, this continued the story as if it never ended with the kids playing alongside Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Steve Kanaly Charlene Tilton and Ken Kercheval reprising their characters

[tammywammy]

34. Yeah, I really like the new Dallas.

I'm sure they'll come up with something.

[Doc Holliday]

86. Plane crash.

It's a classic.

[LTR]

42. I don't think they could pull off the shooting thing again

Sorry, a little gallows humor...

Still, sad to see him depart, though he did live a very long and prosperous life. That despite his ongoing health issues, as well as his struggles with alcoholism. But he definitelydid make his mark.

[graham4anything]

64. They can try. He still has as many enemies on the updated version as he used to

and those that remember- it took them a good year or two to figure out what happened to Jock Ewing the father of them all after Jim Davis the actor died in real life.
(They even brought another actor playing Wes Parmalee to make Miss Ellie think it was him but was proven it wasn't), before finally accepting he died and hiring Mary Martin's fellow MGM musical star Howard "Clayton Farlow" Keel, one of my personal all time favorites for the last 1/2 of the shows long run.(Who sadly also passed away as did Miss Ellie herself).

I do hope they recorded enough of Hagman to maybe intersperse his scenes throughout the entire season. The show begins again in January for Season 2 and I think was also renewed already for a third season. Being on cable now, there are less episodes than a network show has.

They could have a kidnapping or something and find his son orchestrated it to keep him out of town or something sinister like that.

What is a shame is, there were rumors that he was going to resume being with Sue Ellen again(even at JR's advanced age).

Maybe they can bring Pamela back

[sweetloukillbot]

89. I have a friend whose brother works in the music industry

I believe he lives/lived near Hagman's place. One time I was having dinner with them and my friend's brother started talking about the other night when he had dinner with Larry, when Bill showed up. My first question was Larry who? He told me Hagman. Then Bill who? And he said Clinton. I realized I was a bit out of my depth conversation-wise at that point.
He told me about the amazing solar array that he had at the house - apparently Hagman was quite proud of it.

[spiderpig]

16. This news made me call Mr. pig at work to let him know

It wasn't Hamlet, but the Dallas characters were imprinted on our psyches. I watched the series off and on in the 80s, but I always knew who JR and Miss Ellie were. Loved the stories about Hagman off-cam - how he would refuse to speak at all on Sundays, etc.

Is he survived by Maj? They were married for at least half a century.

[Kennah]

20. Yep, according to Wiki, he and Maj were married in 1954, 58 years

He appeared on an episode of "Living With Ed". He's got a friggin' huge solar PV array and a couple of wind turbines on his property in Santa Monica.

RIP, good sir.

[spiderpig]

23. Thanks, Kennah. Larry's one guy I'd have loved to have met.

Damn, I'm sad about this. But he lived a full life and did what he dang well wanted to.

[hlthe2b]

69. Maj is in the advanced stages of Alzheimers--sadly...

I read an article written when Hagman decided to return to the new Dallas show, that she was essentially institutionalized with late stage Alzheimers. The article went into how dedicated he had been for so many years, flying back on weekends to see her--this even though Larry was rather fragile in his last years as well.

He was a good guy who lived hard--perhaps a bit too hard. I'll miss him.

[spiderpig]

78. Tears here - but in a good way.

They were lucky to have had one another. Your story makes me love him even more.

[nolabear]

17. Gosh. Hard to imagine him gone. RIP to a good actor and a great icon.

Odd that I haven't heard a word about it. I suppose I'm not much plugged in today.

[Diclotican]

18. tammywammy

tammywammy

How sad - but he was an old man - and sick - so in some way it might be for the best

But thank you mr Hagman for your years of beeoing the most evil person on TV.. JR was really a beast on Dallas... Even though I was more into Dynasty than Dallas when I grow up

Diclotican

[Mnemosyne]

21. Aw, damn. He was a very interesting man. He had one day a week that he would not speak, think it was

Sundays, iirc.

Thanks Mr. Hagman, you made the world a better place with your wonderful liberal heart.

[marasinghe]

47. indeed; he was one of the nice guys.

to add to what you mentioned, he also practiced Tai Ch'i Chuan, long before it became a fad.

[Mnemosyne]

81. The world was a brighter place from his presence. RIP Major Nelson. nt

[northoftheborder]

22. I think Mary Martin was from Weatherford, (west of Ft. Worth) so he was most likely born in TX.

not positive - haven't looked it up, just initial memory

[Archae]

24. That one line he had...

"Once you give up integrity darlin', the rest is easy."

[Samantha]

37. Hiw wife should put that on his tombstone

and I believe Larry Hagman would love it. What a man. What an actor. Irreplaceable.

RIP, wonderful Sir.

Sam

[Rowdyboy]

27. What sad news...he's been part of my life for many, many years....

From "I Dream of Jeannie" to the new "Dallas". What a rich, full life.

[FourScore]

28. Aww. That makes me sad. n/t

[Third Doctor]

29. I knew it was coming at some point.

He just did not seem well on the new show. Thanks for the memories and your hard work, Larry. RIP

[question everything]

30. Wasn't there a plan to revive Dallas? (nt)

[Rhiannon12866]

32. They did, is a series on TNT.

Last edited Sat Nov 24, 2012, 02:17 AM - Edit history (1)

Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray are all back, plus appearances by a few others from the original. I started following it, remember the original.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1723760/

[Rhiannon12866]

31. Awwww! Impressive and versatile actor, could play funny or evil. :(

I'd gotten to following the new Dallas series and he was as good as ever. Very sad...

[hrmjustin]

33. May he rest in peace.

[blackspade]

35. RIP

Sorry to see him go.

[ellaydubya]

36. One really cool dude has passed!

He lived himself a really full life- a true character. I am sad at his passing but happy for his life.

[Gore1FL]

38. If next year Victoria Principal wakes up and this is all a dream...

...I'm going to be pissed.

[glinda]

39. That is sad.....

[Iggo]

40. Larry Hagman!!!

[VOX]

41. He did a terrific turn in "Fail Safe" with Henry Fonda...

As an anxious but very competent interpreter to Fonda's president.

Sad to see him go.

[Frank Cannon]

94. That was his very first movie role.

And he was, as you said, just terrific, holding his own as a young actor with no less an icon than Henry Fonda.

But then, Mr. Hagman was good in pretty much everything he was in.

[mrsadm]

43. He gave us all a gift ...

Of his amazing talent in portraying the iconic and unforgettable J R Ewing. RIP, I am so sad.

[indie_voter]

44. OH NO!! Tony Nelson. Say it ain't so. RIP.

[wisteria]

45. So sorry to read the news of his passing.

May he rest in peace. He was a part of my high school and late years with I Dream of Jennie and Dallas.

[mountain grammy]

46. Loved him in many roles

but JR Ewing was pure genius. Rest in peace, Larry, you will be missed.

[Third Doctor]

49. Larry with Diana Ross

[ellie]

52. Terrible!

RIP Larry Hagman.

[d_b]

53. lame. he was the man.

rip

[alp227]

54. Found an interview Hagman did with a TV station earlier this month.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018240845

This is most likely his last TV interview.

[AllyCat]

55. Always liked him as Master best :)

Thanks for many entertaining afternoons with I Dream of Jeannie Mr. Hagman. Godspeed to you.

[JohnnyRingo]

56. I never watched Dallas....

...but I spent my teen years dreaming of Jeannie. I always wondered why Hagman wouldn't let Barbara Eden use her powers... both in and out of the bedroom. It's probably best that young boys didn't write the screenplay.

Still, I'm not going to blame him for shattering my adolescent fantasies, and I sincerely wish him a warm farewell and his family comfort in their loss.

[glacierbay]

58. R.I.P. Mr. Hagman

my wife and I loved him it the original Dallas and the new Dallas.
Gonna miss him.

[DemocratsForProgress]

60. With any luck,

your company will send you on some sort of grammar camp adventure. If so, please forget to write.

[From The Ashes]

62. Tacky. n/t

[SoCalMusicLover]

63. Did You Enjoy Your Stay?

What a hateful comment to make.

[Ecumenist]

65. WTF??!! Classy.. I bet your mom's proud .. Got a taste for pizza?

[SemperEadem]

61. Rest in peace, sir...

you gave me many years of enjoyment through your talent.

thank you.

[Ivywoods55]

66. R.I.P. MR. Hagman.

May his family and friends be consoled by prayer at this time, and find strength and peace of mind. Mr. Hagman was a wonderful actor and many roles have been created based on his villainous and self-centered character J.R. Ewing...I use to love to watch Dallas re-runs! Yes, he will be missed.

[onecent]

67. Rest in Peace Mr. Hagman. You brought joy to many!!!

[LeftofObama]

68. RIP Mr. Hagman!

Dang, we lost so many of the great ones this year!

[Bluenorthwest]

70. Larry was a good guy and this is sad news

nt

[Cooley Hurd]

71. Although many will think of JR first, Anthony Nelson was. by far, a more interesting character

I Dream of Jeannie debuted at the height of the space race. The protagonist was an astronaut who stumbles upon an ancient, decorative bottle that contains a sexy genie named... well, Jeannie (played by Barbara Eden). Despite his eventual co-habitation with her, he NEVER made a pass at her (until the last season, when he married her), or exploited her powers.

Of course, that didn't mean that Jeannie didn't use her powers to help her "Master". Usually, to hilarity, she would perceive (often erroneously) that he needed help and then *BLINK!*, Captain (later, Major) Nelson had to explain the weirdness to his superior and NASA psychiatrist, Dr Bellows (played masterfully by Hayden Rorke). The gag was always that Dr Bellows secretly thought Captain Nelson was nuts, while Captain Nelson would try to convince the Doctor that he HIMSELF was nuts for perceiving something so nutty as what he just witnessed. This constant tug-of-war between the Caption and the Doctor is what made IDOJ a classic situation comedy.

Cross Gently, Mr Hagman, and thanks for the laughs!

[Ian David]

72. He's not really dead. This entire year is going to turn out to be just a dream. n/t

[Hawaii Hiker]

73. Except for Hawaii Five-O, Dallas had the best opening theme IMO

[BlueIndyBlue]

74. RIP Maj. Nelson

Although I was a really young kid when Jeannie originally ran on television, I was fascinated by the show. I can remember standing, crossing my arms and furiously nodding my head to help Jeannie fix things for Maj. Tony. I found myself humming the theme song just now. It's amazing how the shows of the 60s creep into your psyche and that even 40+ years later I still remember such a minute thing.

When he was on Dallas, it was an institution of my young adult years. You just weren't cool if you couldn't talk about the latest episode and what crazy thing J.R. did. I loved seeing Larry's twinkling eyes as he played the character with such relish. His mother was an acting institution on the stage and he was an icon of the small screen media.

RIP Larry, you deserve your rest. Thank you for helping to entertain my generation.

[sellitman]

75. Rest In Peace Sir.

We enjoyed your acting abilities thoroughly

[Nonhlanhla]

76. We loved Dallas in South Africa

I grew up in South Africa and I remember my parents and all their friends loving Dallas. No one called each other or visited each other on a Tuesday night when Dallas was on. I was too young to watch it, although I did watch some of the later seasons when I was older.

RIP, JR.

[mecherosegarden]

77. RIP, Mr. Hagman!

[Burma Jones]

79. RIP, from what I read, he would have been very comfy at DU.........

[ChisolmTrailDem]

80. To all my childhood heroes...

PLEASE STOP DYING ON ME!

RIP, Mr Hagman. It was a pleasure watching you perform from my earliest days watching I Dream of Jeanie to the latest incarnation of JR Ewing.

And thank you for promoting renewable energy and supporting Democratic values.

Farewell, sir.

[El Supremo]

82. I'm in shock.

He looked good in 'Dallas' this summer.

[John2]

85. Yeah,

I grew up watching Larry Hagman and do mourn his passing. And even though I disagree with Clint Eastwood's latest stunts, I'll mourn him too. He deserves the respect.

[Doc Holliday]

87. He was great

as the flawed Presidential candidate Picker in Primary Colors. I also recall him having a kind of scary-guy minor role in Nixon.

RIP, Mr. Hagman...and thank you.

[JackRiddler]

92. The turn in Nixon was pretty funny.

He was supposed to be some kind of Texas oil cowboy with murky involvement in the Kennedy assassination and backing Nixon, but making demands on him. An H.L. Hunt type - of course it was played as J.R. Ewing to the hilt.

[msanthrope]

88. I used to watch "Dallas" with my great-grandmother. She was Sicilian and I would translate for her.

She LOVED that show, and would occasionally throw her slipper at the TV when JR was being especially naughty.

[tblue37]

90. Wow--I didn't realize he was that old. I always think of him as

Major Nelson and J.R. Ewing--a handsome sonofagun in the prime of life.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

93. Wow ...

I grew up about 10-15 minutes from Southfork. RIP, Mr. Hagman. You'll be missed.