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Vale: Larry Hagman

Larry Hagman, best known for Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie, has died, aged 81.

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Larry Hagman, best known as TV’s quintessential bad guy J.R. Ewing on Dallas, has died, aged 81.

Hagman, who also hit stardom as the lovable Major Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie, died on Friday afternoon in a Dallas hospital according to the Dallas Morning News.

“Larry was back in his beloved Dallas re-enacting the iconic role he loved most,” his family said in a written 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.”

Friends were in shock, especially those who saw him only days ago. But those close to him say he knew the end was coming and he was glad to have his family in town for Thanksgiving.

In October 2011, the actor said he had a “treatable” form of cancer and that he would work on TNT’s Dallas reboot during treatment.

“As J.R. I could get away with anything — bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer,” he said then.

“I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer. I will be receiving treatment while working on the new Dallas series. I could not think of a better place to be than working on a show I love, with people I love. Besides, as we all know, you can’t keep J.R. down!”

The role of J.R. transformed 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 becoming a household name.

Linda Gray’s publicist told KNBC LA she was with him when he died.

“He was the pied piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew,” Gray said.

17 Responses

  1. Very sad news I enjoyed I dream of genie and really liked the Dallas reboot you really showed the young uns how it’s done and no doubt their craft is the stronger for it .
    RIP 🙁

  2. To be honest, it’s surprising he even lived to 81, as he had to have a liver transplant, as a result of being an alcoholic. The remake of Dallas will be airing on Gem, where it should’ve aired in the first place and they’ve filmed half of season 2, so remaining episodes will need to be rewritten.

  3. Clearly the second season will be completed with some hastily rewritten scripts and one hopes JR gets a right royal Tv send off. The series is so popular in America it is highly likely as long as it continues to rate (and remembering Larry was only in a few of the first season episodes) it will be renweed for season three. What they need is to bring another of the old cast back to balance the show –Ted Shakelford and Joan Van Ark would work well as they would also bring all the old “Knots Landing ;fans.

  4. When you grown up with the original Dallas its pointless trying to explain to those who never watched the original Dallas what Bobby,Pam,Sue,and JR were to many people like me, R.I.P. mate and thanks for giving everything you had to the end going to miss you -:(

  5. I’ve never seen a single episode of “Dallas”, but I’ve seen every episode of “I Dream of Jeannie” at least 3-4 times. I know he was far more famous as JR, but for me, Larry Hagman will always be Major Anthony Nelson. RIP.

  6. very sad news…been a fan of dallas from the start and really enjoyed the recent re-boot. Just read that he completed filming 6 eps out of 15 for series 2 of the new series.

  7. Very sad news, I really enjoyed Larry in both versions of Dallas, as well as I Dream Of Jeannie. He seemed almost indestructable, with everything that has happened over the years.

    RIP Larry 🙁

  9. Having watched every episode of the original ‘Dallas” I, like many others, fell in love with JR, he was great in the role he played. (I was never a fan of his in ‘I Dream of Jeanie’).

    I also loved watching him in the 2012 remake of Dallas… He continued where he left off from the original series (albeit many years later) hence I was looking forward to Season 2, in January 2013.

    Loved his scheming character, he was great viewing. The bond between Bobby, Sue Ellen and JR (both in private life and acting) was very close…

    As paul2 said earlier ‘ thanks for the memories’ JR/Larry.

  14. I may be in a minority but I believe the remake of Dallas was pretty good and I think it could survive without the iconic JR especially after the last episode where a whole new dynamic was being forged for the second season.
    This being said I doubt it will survive without him and it was sad news.

  17. He created one of the all-time iconic TV characters that will always be remembered. Nice that his co-stars were with him at the end and that he died doing what he loved.

    Thanks for the great memories, Larry

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