The Original Cast of 'Dallas': Where Are They Now?

It's been 45 years since the iconic soap opera premiered on CBS. Check back in with Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Charlene Tilton and their fellow 'Dallas' alumni

It's been 45 years since Dallas first hit airwaves.

Like its generation-spanning fanbase, the show's cast continues to look back fondly on the CBS soap opera. In anticipation of the milestone anniversary, several of the stars reunited in Palm Springs to celebrate with PEOPLE, reminiscing on Dallas' impact and remembering late costars such as Larry Hagman.

Linda Gray, who played Sue Ellen Ewing, remembered how the show filled viewers' needs "to have a recurring story, suspense and something to look forward to." Patrick Duffy compared the show to the hits of today, like Succession and Yellowstone: "It all started with us," the actor behind Bobby Ewing told PEOPLE.

See what the stars of the headline-making show have been up to since Dallas changed TV upon its premiere in 1978.

Larry Hagman

While Larry Hagman did pursue other acting opportunities after the original Dallas series wrapped, his leading role as J.R. Ewing remained at the forefront of his career until he died at age 81. Hagman reprised the breakout character in the 90s TV movies J.R. Returns and War of the Ewings and again in 2011, when TNT rebooted the series.

Hagman announced that he’d been diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer in 2011, over 15 years after he’d undergone a liver transplant. Hagman died in 2012 due to complications from his cancer, though his legacy lives on through his costars and friends.

Ken Kercheval

After getting his start on Broadway, Ken Kercheval moved over to TV with cameos and soap opera roles in the mid-60s. He made it big on the small screen when he starred on Dallas as Cliff Barnes, the rival of J.R. Ewing. Kercheval and Hagman were the only two actors who remained cast members throughout Dallas' original 13-season run. He also appeared as Cliff in all three seasons of the 2012 reboot.

Before his death in 2019, Kercheval made appearances in several TV movies throughout the 1990s and returned to theater in the mid-aughts. He played The General in U.K. productions of White Christmas from 2006 through 2011.

Barbara Bel Geddes

Barbara Bel Geddes finished her acting career playing Dallas matriarch Miss Ellie Ewing. The actress retired from screens and stages in 1990, after 12 seasons on the CBS soap, and she died of lung cancer in 2005, at age 82.

Bel Geddes established herself as a star long before Dallas. She won awards for her performance in the Broadway show Deep Are the Roots. Her other theatrical hits during the 1950s and 1960s included productions like The Moon Is Blue, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Mary, Mary.

In Hollywood, she earned critical acclaim for her film and TV work. Bel Geddes was nominated for a best supporting actress Academy Award for her role in the 1948 movie I Remember Mama. She appeared in a couple of Alfred Hitchcock productions as well, including his 1958 psychological thriller Vertigo and a few episodes of his anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Patrick Duffy

Patrick Duffy played J.R.'s older brother Bobby Ewing, who was famously (and controversially) killed off and brought back one season later. After the final season of the original Dallas, Duffy starred alongside Suzanne Somers on the sitcom Step by Step, which ran from 1991 to 1998.

The actor returned to the soap opera sphere in 2006, playing Stephen Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful. He departed the show after five years, but did return in 2022 for a two-episode stint, which featured his real-life girlfriend Linda Purl playing Duffy's love interest. (Duffy's wife of over 40 years, Carlyn Rosser, died of cancer in 2017).

Beyond his TV roles and other cameos, the Dallas alum also appeared in films like You Again (2010) and Lady of the Manor (2021).

Linda Gray

After starring on Dallas as Sue Ellen Ewing, Linda Gray shared the screen with Sylvester Stallone in the 1991 comedy Oscar. Then, in the early aughts, the actress took to the stage, appearing in productions of The Graduate on the West End and on Broadway.

Gray appeared on shows like Melrose Place, its spinoff Models Inc. and on 90210, another spinoff from the same franchise. She reprised her Dallas role in the TV movies J.R. Returns and War of the Ewings and the series' continuation on TNT 2012.

More recently, Gray furthered her TV career in the Hallmark film A Perfect Wedding and on the CW comedy series Significant Mother. Her soap stardom spans across the pond, too: Gray played Tabitha Maxwell-Brown in Britain's Channel 4 show Hollyoaks.

Steve Kanaly

After playing Jock Ewing's illegitimate son Ray Krebbs, Steve Kanaly played Seabone Hunkle on the soap All My Children from 1994 through 1995. Like his costars, the actor appeared in one of the Dallas-based TV movies, and he guest starred in four episodes of the recent reboot.

Howard Keel

Before his death in 2004, Howard Keel made a name for himself as a singer and actor, best known for his portrayal of Clayton Farlow on Dallas. While on the show, Keel released more albums and continued the musical career he established in theatrical performances and MGM musicals.

He slowed his performances down in the mid-90s, after Dallas. However, Keel's talents were still recognized after he died of colon cancer: In 2019, the multi-hyphenate star was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame.

Victoria Principal

Victoria Principal left Dallas in 1987, after nine years on the series. Three decades later, she explained to PEOPLE that she observed "a definitive decline" in the show's quality. As Dallas continued without her character, Pamela Barnes, Principal went on to guest star on other shows and star in TV movies, several of which were produced by her own production company.

After the turn of the century, Principal stepped away from screens and focused on her wellness projects. She has her own line of skincare products, Principal Secret, and has written four books on the subject of personal health.

Charlene Tilton

Charlene Tilton started playing Lucy Ewing when she was just a teenager. The actress was beloved by many for her darling looks – though in 2023, Tilton told PEOPLE that she "had no idea" how beautiful she was during those years of child stardom.

Post-Dallas, Tilton starred in big- and small-screen movies. She revisited the legendary soap for its reboot in 2012, though she's since diversified her character work. Today the all-grown-up starlet appears in TV movies for faith-based streaming services and cable networks, like the Hallmark Channel.

Priscilla Presley

Priscilla Presley was the third actress to star as Jenna Krebbs in Dallas. She played Bobby Ewing's ex-fiancé from 1983 through 1988 and then went on star in the three Naked Gun franchise films. Presley also appeared in shows like Melrose Place, Touched by an Angel and Spin City before stepping away from acting.

She has, however, continued producing pieces of entertainment to honor her late ex-husband, Elvis Presley. She worked on the 1998 drama Finding Graceland and was the executive producer of a postmortem album release of his archival recordings in 2015. Most recently, she co-created the Netflix animation Agent Elvis. She's also set to voice the cartoon version of herself in the series.

Presley's family life has also evolved in the years since her famed soap stint. She became a grandmother of four through her only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley – who died at age 54 in January 2023. Lisa Marie's daughter Riley Keough welcomed the Dallas star's first great-grandchild in 2022.

Susan Howard

After she stopped playing Donna Krebbs on Dallas, Susan Howard hosted The 700 Club on the Christian Broadcasting Network for one year. She's since left television altogether to focus on her political values, and has actively advocated for gun rights organizations like the National Rifle Association.

Jim Davis

Jim Davis died at age 71 after playing family patriarch Jock Ewing for four years. Beyond his starring role on Dallas, the actor is remembered for his prominence in many western films and television shows from the mid-century until his death in 1981.

Audrey Landers

Audrey Landers played nightclub singer Afton Cooper from 1981 through 1984, returning briefly in 1989 for a six-episode reappearance. She further employed her musical talents as Val Clarke in the 1985 film version of A Chorus Line, and in 1996, she and her mother created a television series called The Huggabug Club.

As a singer, Landers remains active in the industry, recording albums and performing in concerts around the world.

Sheree Wilson

Sheree Wilson played April Ewing in the later seasons of Dallas, from 1986 through 1991. She continued to nab movie roles and guest star spots on TV. On multiple occasions, Wilson has shared the screen with Chuck Norris, starring in the 1994 thriller Hellbound, his series Walker, Texas Ranger and its TV film adaptation.

Wilson can most recently be spotted in the TV movie A Mermaid for Christmas and the biographical drama The Silent Natural, both of which premiered in 2019.

Cathy Podewell

Cathy Podewell appeared as J.R.'s second wife, Cally Ewing, in the final three seasons of Dallas. She went on to guest star on television shows, including one episode of the TNT reboot's second season. Beyond her role in the 2021 horror film Reunion from Hell, Podewell has largely stepped out of the spotlight to focus on her three children.

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