Bridges: As J. R., Texan Larry Hagman made big impact in 'Dallas'
Texas has produced many colorful characters and gifted actors and artists in its long history. Among those is actor Larry Hagman. He played one of the most notorious villains on TV but was the opposite off-screen, known instead for his wit and his devotion to friends.
Hagman was born in September 1931 in Fort Worth. His father, Benjamin Jackson Hagman, was an attorney and an accountant in nearby Weatherford, who later worked as a prosecuting attorney and was a decorated artillery officer during World War II. His home life was difficult. In 1936, his mother, Mary Martin, was anxious to resume her career as a singer and stage actress and filed for divorce. For the next several years, Larry Hagman alternated between his mother and his grandmother while living in California. His mother sent him to a series of boarding schools before he went to live with her again in New York City after World War II. In 1946, he returned to Weatherford to live with his father and his new wife and half-brother.
He attended Weatherford High School and took several jobs. One summer, he worked for oilman Jess Hall, Jr., the owner of Antelope Tool Company. Hagman said he would later base his character of J. R. Ewing on memories of Hall. He graduated high school in 1949. His father encouraged him to become a lawyer, but Hagman instead pursued acting. He attended Bard College in New York City, majoring in drama and dance but quit after one year.
Hagman acted in small stage productions before he was drafted in 1952. He married Maj Axelsson in 1954, with whom he had two children. After four years in the Air Force, he returned to New York City and acted in a series of plays. His first TV appearance was a guest shot on the 1957 series Decoy. In 1958, he made three guest appearances on Sea Hunt with Lloyd Bridges. He kept making small appearances on stage and screen, and his career steadily grew. From 1961 to 1963, he had a recurring role on the CBS soap opera The Edge of Night. His first film role was in 1964 in Ensign Pulver. Later that year, he appeared in the thriller Failsafe.
In 1965, he made a huge breakthrough with his career when he landed the lead in I Dream of Jeannie. Hagman played Maj. Tony Nelson, an astronaut who found a genie in a bottle on a deserted island. His character was often bewildered and overwhelmed by the antics of the genie played by Barbara Eden, who would become a lifelong friend. The popular series ran until 1970. After the end of the series, he appeared in two short-lived sitcoms, The Good Life (1971-1972) and Here We Go Again (1973).
He was looking for a new role in early 1978 when his wife suggested he read the script of a proposed new drama about a Texas oil family. Hagman immediately felt drawn to the scheming character of J. R. Ewing and got the role. When Dallas premiered in April 1978, it was an instant hit. “J. R.” became a cultural icon, and millions tuned in every week to see his latest scheme and whether his co-star, Patrick Duffy, who played the younger brother Bobby Ewing, could thwart his plans. Many scenes were shot in and around the Dallas area, to the delight of Metroplex residents. In spite of his TV character, Hagman developed close relationships with all his fellow cast members.
The tensions in the Ewing family and the web of his backstabbing plans led to the famous “Who Shot J. R.?” cliffhanger in 1980, leaving millions wondering if he would survive the shooting and who was responsible. The question was the subject of interviews, articles, and magazine covers across the globe. In November 1980, in one of the most-watched episodes in television history, 83 million Americans tuned in to learn that he had survived and was shot by his sister-in-law and mistress.
The series lasted for 14 seasons. He was nominated for two Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. Hagman was the only actor to appear in all 357 episodes before the cancellation of Dallas in May 1991. He and other co-stars would appear in six TV movies in the years afterward. Hagman once said about his character, “It’s fun to play the villain.”
He would make brief film appearances, and directed a number of episodes of In the Heat of the Night, which starred his close friend Carroll O’Connor. But he faced a major health crisis in 1995. Hagman had been a heavy drinker for many years and had to undergo a liver transplant. The operation was a success, and he quit drinking. He wrote an autobiography, Hello Darlin’, in 2001. When his wife developed Alzheimer’s Disease, he stayed by her side until her death in 2011.
In 2011, he was approached about a revival of Dallas. His first question was, “Are all my friends going to be there?” The revival premiered in 2012 with most of the surviving series originals and fared well in the ratings. However, Hagman was diagnosed with throat cancer. He received treatment while he worked on the series, and it initially seemed successful. However, a new cancer diagnosis was revealed in 2012. Hagman died at a Dallas hospital in November 2012 at age 81.
Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Bridges: Texan Larry Hagman was 'Dallas' mainstay as villain J. R.
