‘J.R.’ of Dallas dies at 81
Larry Hagman who played the oilman villain J.R. Ewing loses battle with cancer.
LOS ANGELES: Larry Hagman, who shot to worldwide fame for his portrayal of the oilman villain J.R. Ewing in the US television series Dallas, has died at the age of 81 after losing a battle with cancer, his family said.
“When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones,” the family said in a statement. “It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for.”
Hagman died late Friday afternoon at Medical City Dallas Hospital from complications from throat cancer, according to the statement. No other details were given. Hagman first became a TV star in 1965 in the comedy series I Dream of Jeannie, in which he played an amiable astronaut whose life is plagued by a beautiful blonde portrayed by Barbara Eden.
But it was not until 1977, when the soap opera Dallas came along, that his Hollywood career really took off.
Dallas told the story of a megarich Texas family, in which Hagman played the role of corrupt and unscrupulous millionaire J.R. Ewing, the man everyone loved to hate.
With his ever-present Stetson and a smile that hid constant scheming, JR powered the series that ran for an unprecedented 13 seasons from 1978 to 1991, becoming one of the highest rated TV shows of all time whose popularity reached well beyond the US.
He lived and worked in Southern California. But since the series were set in Dallas, Hagman’s name became synonymous with Texas.
In 1992, Hagman was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, which later developed into a cancerous tumour.
Hagman was married to Swedishborn Maj Axelsson. The couple has two children, daughter Heidi Kristina and son Preston.