Actor Larry Hagman Dies at 81

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R.I.P. Larry Hagman

By THE DEADLINE TEAM
Friday November 23, 2012

Larry Hagman, who played J.R. the conniving, villainous head of the Ewing clan on the TV series Dallas, died today at a Dallas hospital, sources close to the actor told the Dallas Morning News. He was 81. Born in Fort Worth, Hagman was the son of legendary actress Mary Martin and a local district attorney. He played the character in the long-running primetime soap from 1978 through 1991 on CBS. He returned last year when the series was resurrected on TNT, focusing on a new generation of Ewings. Prior to Dallas, Hagman’s biggest TV role had been as the astronaut Major Anthony Nelson on NBC’s I Dream Of Jeannie opposite Barbara Eden. Among those confirming the death were co-star Linda Gray’s agent, Jeffrey Lane, who said the actress was at Hagman’s bedside when he died. Lane said another co-star, Patrick Duffy, was also present. Hagman appeared in Season 1 of the Dallas reboot and had filmed part of Season 2. His wife of nearly 60 years is the former Maj Axelsson. According to reports, she is under 24-hour care for Alzheimer’s disease.

While he was still a child, after his parents’ divorce his mother moved to New York to continue her acting career, and Hagman lived with his grandmother in Los Angeles until she died. He then moved to New York where he eventually followed his mother to the stage. Then after years of guest turns on TV, Hagman landed in I Dream Of Jeannie which ran for five years. In 1964 he made his film debut in Ensign Pulver and appeared in Fail Safe which starred Henry Fonda. Additional feature film work included Harry And Tonto, Mother, Jugs & Speed, The Eagle Has Landed, Superman, Nixon and Primary Colors. But his signature enduring role was as J.R. Ewing. The third season ended March 21, 1980 with an episode in which J.R. was shot. That led to endless media and fan speculation about Who Shot J.R. The “Who Done It?” episode on November 21, 1980 earned record high ratings. He was nominated in 1980 and 1981 for Emmys as Lead Actor in a Drama but did not win. A longtime drinker, he spent several weeks in 1995 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he underwent a liver transplant. As a high-profile advocate for organ donation, Hagman received an award for his efforts to increase public awareness. In November 1996, he starred in a TV reunion movie Dallas: J.R. Returns followed by Dallas: War of the Ewings in 1998.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/larry-h ... in-dallas/