Kristin Shepard
Encyclopedia
Kristin Shepard was a character in the popular American television series Dallas
, played most notably by Mary Crosby
(1979-1981) and briefly played by Colleen Camp
(1979). The character also made one appearance on Dallas' spinoff series Knots Landing
during its second season.
Kristin was Sue Ellen Ewing
's scheming sister, who eventually has an affair with Sue Ellen's husband J.R.
The character of Kristin first appeared on Dallas during the first season in the company of her mother, Patricia Shepard (Martha Scott
). Patricia was always proud that her daughter Sue Ellen (Linda Gray
) had married into the Ewing family. Patricia was hoping her younger daughter Kristin (then played by Colleen Camp
) would also find a successful man to marry. Kristin spent some time at Southfork Ranch
and J.R.
(Larry Hagman
) came up with a plan for the vixen Kristin to seduce Bobby. (Bobby
had just recently separated from his new bride Pam
and J.R. was plotting to break them up for good.) J.R.'s plan backfired. Bobby wasn't interested in Kristin romantically and nothing happened. Bobby and Pam reconciled. Kristin left town for a while.
Kristin (now played by Mary Crosby
) returned to Dallas at the beginning of the second season. J.R. offered Kristin a job working for him at Ewing Oil and a condo for her to live in. Eventually, J.R. and Kristin began a long term affair. Kristin helped J.R. by finding out valuable information from J.R.'s business partners. J.R. failed to come through on the promises he made to Kristin that she would be rewarded for the spying she had done. Kristin became bitter with J.R., feeling he had betrayed her. J.R. had also managed to anger many of his business partners and family members. J.R. was shot by an unknown assailant at the end of Dallass second season.
In the beginning of the third season, Sue Ellen (falsely accused of shooting J.R.) realized that her sister Kristin had shot J.R. and the truth came out in a poolside conversation between the three of them.. Before J.R. (in a wheelchair) had a chance to digest this news flash, Kristin revealed that she was pregnant with J.R.'s child. Instead of pressing charges against Kristin for the shooting, J.R. sent her packing out of town and agreed to send her a monthly check for living expenses.
Before her last appearance on Dallas, Kristin resurfaced on spin-off series Knots Landing. She had been living in Los Angeles after leaving Dallas, and was arrested at a party while possessing drugs. She contacted Valene Ewing
in an attempt to get out of jail and is invited to stay with Val and Gary, who is not happy to see her there knowing fully that Kristin was as conniving as Sue-Ellen, while she gets back on her feet. Kristin tried to form a relationship with the Ewings' neighbor Kenny Ward, who was separated from his wife Ginger at the time. Kristin and Kenny's relationship gets to a point to where Kenny takes Kristin to his home, only to have Ginger walk in on them while Kristin is attempting to seduce Kenny. Ginger promptly sued Kenny for divorce shortly thereafter. Kristin came clean and admitted that she was pregnant to Val and Gary, and said that she only tried to seduce Kenny in order to give her baby a father. The closing scene has Gary and Kristin taking about how they were both the black sheep of their families. Kristin leaves Knots Landing shortly afterwards. Not once during this episode, is it mentioned that she was responsible for the shooting of J.R., nor that the real father of her baby was J.R.
At the end of the third season, Kristin returned yet again and soon thereafter was found drowned in the Southfork Ranch swimming pool, after having overdosed on drugs and hitting her head after losing consciousness and falling over the railing of the upper balcony. After Kristin's death, it was learned that J.R. was not the father of Christopher (Kristin's child), Bobby and Pam's adopted son. Kristin had miscarried
the child she conceived with JR.
Kristin made a final appearance in the series finale. In that episode, J.R. experiences visions of what the world would be like if he had never been born. In this setting, Kristin initially appears to be a prostitute, which J.R. finds predictable. She then informs her client that she is actually a police officer conducting a sting, at which J.R. is incredulous. The client then offers Kristin a large donation for the Police Benevolent Association
if she will let him off, to which she agrees. After the man leaves, it is revealed that Kristin is actually a con artist, which gains J.R.'s approval.
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
, played most notably by Mary Crosby
Mary Crosby
Mary Frances Crosby is an American actress. She is most often credited as simply Mary Crosby for her performances.-Early life:...
(1979-1981) and briefly played by Colleen Camp
Colleen Camp
Colleen Celeste Camp is an American actress and film producer, known for her performances in two installments of the Police Academy series and as Yvette the Maid in the 1985 black comedy Clue. She was also the first actress to play Kristin Shepard in U.S. prime time soap opera Dallas in 1979.Camp...
(1979). The character also made one appearance on Dallas' spinoff series Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
during its second season.
Kristin was Sue Ellen Ewing
Sue Ellen Ewing
Sue Ellen Ewing is a character on the popular American television series Dallas, played by Linda Gray from 1978 to 1989. Sue Ellen was the long-suffering two-time wife of the nefarious J. R. Ewing....
's scheming sister, who eventually has an affair with Sue Ellen's husband J.R.
J.R. Ewing
John Ross Ewing, Jr., more commonly known as J. R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was a central, nefarious figure on the hit CBS television series Dallas . J. R...
The character of Kristin first appeared on Dallas during the first season in the company of her mother, Patricia Shepard (Martha Scott
Martha Scott
Martha Ellen Scott was an American actress best known for her roles as mother of the lead character in numerous films and television shows.-Early life:...
). Patricia was always proud that her daughter Sue Ellen (Linda Gray
Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing on the television prime-time soap opera Dallas.-Career:Prior to acting, Gray began working as a model in the 1960s...
) had married into the Ewing family. Patricia was hoping her younger daughter Kristin (then played by Colleen Camp
Colleen Camp
Colleen Celeste Camp is an American actress and film producer, known for her performances in two installments of the Police Academy series and as Yvette the Maid in the 1985 black comedy Clue. She was also the first actress to play Kristin Shepard in U.S. prime time soap opera Dallas in 1979.Camp...
) would also find a successful man to marry. Kristin spent some time at Southfork Ranch
Southfork Ranch
Southfork Ranch is a conference and event center located near Plano, Texas; it contains the Ewing Mansion, which was the setting for the 1978 - 1991 television series Dallas. The ranch is located at 3700 Hogge Drive in Parker, Texas.-History:...
and J.R.
J.R. Ewing
John Ross Ewing, Jr., more commonly known as J. R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was a central, nefarious figure on the hit CBS television series Dallas . J. R...
(Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
) came up with a plan for the vixen Kristin to seduce Bobby. (Bobby
Bobby James Ewing
Robert James Ewing, commonly called Bobby Ewing, is a fictional character central to the long running TV soap opera Dallas. The youngest son of Jock and Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy between 1978 and 1991, although both the actor and the character left the show briefly during...
had just recently separated from his new bride Pam
Pamela Barnes Ewing
Pamela Jean "Pam" Barnes is a fictional character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Victoria Principal and Margaret Michaels.-Early pre-series life:...
and J.R. was plotting to break them up for good.) J.R.'s plan backfired. Bobby wasn't interested in Kristin romantically and nothing happened. Bobby and Pam reconciled. Kristin left town for a while.
Kristin (now played by Mary Crosby
Mary Crosby
Mary Frances Crosby is an American actress. She is most often credited as simply Mary Crosby for her performances.-Early life:...
) returned to Dallas at the beginning of the second season. J.R. offered Kristin a job working for him at Ewing Oil and a condo for her to live in. Eventually, J.R. and Kristin began a long term affair. Kristin helped J.R. by finding out valuable information from J.R.'s business partners. J.R. failed to come through on the promises he made to Kristin that she would be rewarded for the spying she had done. Kristin became bitter with J.R., feeling he had betrayed her. J.R. had also managed to anger many of his business partners and family members. J.R. was shot by an unknown assailant at the end of Dallass second season.
In the beginning of the third season, Sue Ellen (falsely accused of shooting J.R.) realized that her sister Kristin had shot J.R. and the truth came out in a poolside conversation between the three of them.. Before J.R. (in a wheelchair) had a chance to digest this news flash, Kristin revealed that she was pregnant with J.R.'s child. Instead of pressing charges against Kristin for the shooting, J.R. sent her packing out of town and agreed to send her a monthly check for living expenses.
Before her last appearance on Dallas, Kristin resurfaced on spin-off series Knots Landing. She had been living in Los Angeles after leaving Dallas, and was arrested at a party while possessing drugs. She contacted Valene Ewing
Valene Ewing
Valene "Val" Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series Dallas and, more prominently, its spin-off series Knots Landing. She was played by Joan Van Ark....
in an attempt to get out of jail and is invited to stay with Val and Gary, who is not happy to see her there knowing fully that Kristin was as conniving as Sue-Ellen, while she gets back on her feet. Kristin tried to form a relationship with the Ewings' neighbor Kenny Ward, who was separated from his wife Ginger at the time. Kristin and Kenny's relationship gets to a point to where Kenny takes Kristin to his home, only to have Ginger walk in on them while Kristin is attempting to seduce Kenny. Ginger promptly sued Kenny for divorce shortly thereafter. Kristin came clean and admitted that she was pregnant to Val and Gary, and said that she only tried to seduce Kenny in order to give her baby a father. The closing scene has Gary and Kristin taking about how they were both the black sheep of their families. Kristin leaves Knots Landing shortly afterwards. Not once during this episode, is it mentioned that she was responsible for the shooting of J.R., nor that the real father of her baby was J.R.
At the end of the third season, Kristin returned yet again and soon thereafter was found drowned in the Southfork Ranch swimming pool, after having overdosed on drugs and hitting her head after losing consciousness and falling over the railing of the upper balcony. After Kristin's death, it was learned that J.R. was not the father of Christopher (Kristin's child), Bobby and Pam's adopted son. Kristin had miscarried
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
the child she conceived with JR.
Kristin made a final appearance in the series finale. In that episode, J.R. experiences visions of what the world would be like if he had never been born. In this setting, Kristin initially appears to be a prostitute, which J.R. finds predictable. She then informs her client that she is actually a police officer conducting a sting, at which J.R. is incredulous. The client then offers Kristin a large donation for the Police Benevolent Association
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association or Policemen's Benevolent Association ' is the name of several labor unions representing police officers. One such union is the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York, which is the largest union representing members of the New York City Police...
if she will let him off, to which she agrees. After the man leaves, it is revealed that Kristin is actually a con artist, which gains J.R.'s approval.