Larry Hagman, J.R. Ewing of 'Dallas,' Dies at Age 81
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(Image Source: Sky News)
BY JIM FLINK
ANCHOR LOGAN TITTLE
He is one of Hollywood’s enduring, and iconic actors.
Larry Hagman died Thanksgiving Day at the age of 81.
Oh... you probably know him better as J.R. Ewing. Here’s the BBC.
“For many, Larry Hagman was, and will forever be J R Ewing, the ruthless but charismatic star of Dallas. Stay out of my affairs, Pamela. You make me sick. It was Dallas which made him a star.”
A star because his role was so very convincing. Texas-born, Hagman took to the role and made it his own. He was the only star of the series to star in all 355 episodes.
The Hollywood Reporter explains...
“J.R. Ewing was the baddest bad guy of his time … the entitled sex- and power-hungry son of a Texas oil baron ... He was conniving and hurtful, greedy and selfish, vengeful and bitter ... In short, he was the definition of evil. I would even venture to say, the greatest villain in TV history...”
And his role as JR wasn’t just popular in America, Sky News explains, it was an international sensation.
“Viewing figures for the American soap in Britain topped twenty million, helped by what became one of the genre's most famous ever storylines, "Who Shot J.R.?"
Hagman wasn’t always evil personified.
He started out in a much sweeter role, in a lighter situation comedy, “I Dream of Jeanie.” But The Dallas Morning News reports, the “Dallas” series changed his career forever.
“The role of J.R. transformed Mr. Hagman’s life. He rocketed from being a merely well-known TV actor onI Dream of Jeannie and the son of Broadway legend Mary Martin, to the kind of international fame known only by the likes the Beatles and Muhammad Ali.”
And while WPXI reports, Hagman also had other roles, Hagman can claim numbers of viewers few other actors in history can claim.
“...the "Dallas" episode of who shot JR is still the most watched television episode in history. Only the series finale of "Mash" ranks higher. “
Larry Hagman was 81 years old.
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