Larry Hagman
Encyclopedia
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
.
. His mother, Mary Martin
, later became a Broadway actress and his father, Benjamin Jack Hagman, was a district attorney
. His parents divorced in 1936 when he was five years old. He lived with his grandmother in Texas and California
. His famous mother became a contract player with Paramount
in 1938 and occasionally took him to her movies.
In 1940 his mother met and married Richard Halliday and gave birth to a daughter, Heller, the following year. Hagman attended the strict Black-Foxe Military Institute
(now closed). When his mother moved to New York City
to continue her Broadway
career, Hagman again lived with his grandmother in California. A couple of years later, his grandmother died and Hagman joined his mother in New York. At age 14 (in 1945) while attending boarding school
, he began drinking heavily which led to serious health problems later in life.
In 1946 Hagman moved back to his hometown of Weatherford
, where he worked on a ranch owned by a friend of his father. After attending Weatherford High School, he was drawn to drama classes and reputedly fell in love with the stage and, in particular, with the warm reception he got for his comedic roles. He developed a reputation as a talented performer and in between school terms, would take minor roles in local stage productions. Hagman graduated from high school in 1949, when his mother suggested that he try acting as a profession.
Hagman began his career in Dallas, Texas working as a production assistant
and acting in small roles in Margo Jones
' Theater in 1950 during a break from his one year at Bard College
. He appeared in The Taming of the Shrew
in New York City, followed by numerous tent show musicals with St. John Terrell's Music Circus in St. Petersburg, Florida
, and Lambertville, New Jersey
. In 1951, Hagman appeared in the London production of South Pacific
with his mother, and stayed in the show for nearly a year.
In 1952, during the Korean War
, Hagman was drafted into the United States Air Force
. Stationed in London, he spent the majority of his military service entertaining U.S. troops in the UK
and at bases in Europe.
where he appeared in the Off-Broadway
play Once Around the Block, by William Saroyan
, and received excellent reviews. That was followed by nearly a year in another Off Broadway play, James Lee's Career. Despite his success, his career was overshadowed by his mother's fame, which was in ascendancy due to her starring role in a TV production of Peter Pan
(in a role she had already played on Broadway). Larry Hagman's Broadway debut occurred in 1958 in Comes a Day. Hagman appeared in four other Broadway plays, God and Kate Murphy, The Nervous Set, The Warm Peninsula and The Beauty Part.
During this period, Hagman appeared in numerous, mostly live, television programs. In 1958 he joined Barbara Bain
as a guest star in the short-lived adventure
and drama
series Harbourmaster
. Hagman joined the cast of The Edge of Night
in 1961 as Ed Gibson, and stayed in that role for two years. In 1964 he made his film debut in Ensign Pulver
, which featured young unknown Jack Nicholson
. That same year, Hagman also appeared in Fail-Safe
, opposite Henry Fonda
.
, The United States Steel Hour, The Defenders, Diagnosis: Unknown
, Mr. Broadway
, Love American Style, Medical Center
, McCloud, Love Story, Lucas Tanner
, The Streets of San Francisco
, Police Woman
, Marcus Welby, M.D.
, Three for the Road
, Harry O, The Rockford Files
, Barnaby Jones
, McMillan & Wife, Police Story, Knots Landing
The Simpsons
, and Nip/Tuck
.
’s TV "master" and eventual love interest, Air Force Captain (later Major) Anthony Nelson in the sitcom
, I Dream of Jeannie
, for NBC
. The show had climbed into the Top 10 in its first year and was NBC's answer to both successful 1960s magical comedies
, Bewitched
on ABC and My Favorite Martian
on CBS. In its first season I Dream of Jeannie was not filmed in color, which was prohibitively expensive at the time. From the 2nd season (1966) on, however, the show was filmed in color in recognition of the widespread purchase and use of color televisions by the viewing public. During the show's first season Hagman's astronaut character was promoted from Captain to Major. By 1970 Jeannie was running out of steam, and during the last season Hagman’s character finally married Jeannie.
There were two reunion movies both televised on NBC: I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later
(1985) and I Still Dream of Jeannie
(1991). Hagman refused to appear in the first reunion movie, reportedly because of a payment dispute.
and The Good Life
. He also appeared in such television films as Getting Away From It All, Sidekicks, The Return Of The World's Greatest Detective, Intimate Strangers, and Checkered Flag Or Crash.
Hagman appeared in the theatrical films The Group
, Harry and Tonto
, Mother, Jugs & Speed
, The Eagle Has Landed
, Superman, Nixon
and Primary Colors. He directed
(and appeared briefly in) a low-budget comedy and horror film in 1972 called Beware The Blob (a sequel to the classic 1958 horror film, The Blob
). Some have jokingly called this "the film that J.R. shot".
. Already starring on the show were legendary stage and screen actress Barbara Bel Geddes
and Hagman's childhood movie hero Jim Davis
as her husband and J.R.'s father Jock Ewing. In addition, the Dallas cast included a number of unfamiliar, yet promising actors, including Patrick Duffy
, Steve Kanaly
, Ken Kercheval
, teen-aged Charlene Tilton
and Victoria Principal
. When Hagman read the script for the role of J.R. at his wife's suggestion, they both concluded it was perfect for him. Another attraction for Hagman was that, as a native Texan
, he did not have to travel far from his hometown of Fort Worth for some of the filming.
In mid-1978, the producers originally intended that the series would emphasize the lives of Bobby and Pam, and it was not expected to be a ratings bonanza. In fact, the producers anticipated having to cancel the show after only five episodes. However, thanks to the strong fan following for Hagman's portrayal of J.R., he was credited as being the star who saved the show, it being offered a full first season, on the strength of excellent mini-series ratings. Seen in over 90 countries, the show was a worldwide success and Hagman became one of the most reliable and supportive network stars. By the end of its second season, Dallas was a bonafide
hit. Producers were keen to capitalize on that love/hate family relationship of J.R.'s, building anticipation to a fever-pitch in a cliff hanger season finale in which J.R. is shot.
At the beginning of Dallas' third season, audience and actors were guessing "Who Shot J.R.?
". During the media buildup, Hagman was involved in contract negotiations delaying his return in the third season. Holding out for a higher salary, Hagman did not appear in the first episode of the show until the final few minutes, despite all the media and fan frenzy over the fate of J.R. Producers were faced with a dilemma whether to pay the greatly increased salary or to write J.R. out of the picture. CBS began taping different episodes of Dallas
which did not include Hagman. In the midst of negotiations, Hagman took his family to London for their July vacation. He continued to fight for his demands and network executives conceded that the show really could not go on without him. From the third season, Hagman was paid a huge amount per episode.
At the beginning of the third season, writers were told to keep the storylines away from the actors until they really found out who actually shot J.R., and it took at least three weeks until the culprit was revealed on November 21, 1980. In 1981, Hagman's co-star Jim Davis
was diagnosed with brain cancer
. Despite his illness he was retained on the show, so that he was not only written out of the show but died in real-life. His character was first sent off to South America
to work on the oil fields. The following year he died. The show did an episode surrounding Jock's death/disappearance in the 4th season. They said his helicopter crashed in the jungles of South America and sunk to the bottom of a lake. During the fall of 1981, his character met Clayton Farlow
(played by singer and 1950s moviestar Howard Keel
), who became his on-screen stepfather, for the next decade.
For his work as J.R. Ewing, Hagman was nominated for two Emmys
between 1980 and 1981, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, but did not win. He was also nominated for four Golden Globes
, between 1981 and 1983 and one in 1985, losing both. He was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award
seven times for Outstanding Villain on a Prime Time Serial, Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role on a Prime Time Serial, Favorite Super Couple: Prime Time and Outstanding Actor in a Comic Relief Role on a Prime Time Serial, and won five times. In 1984, co-star (Barbara Bel Geddes
) left the show after suffering a heart attack
. At one point, Hagman suggested to his real-life mother (Mary Martin
) that she play Miss Ellie, but she refused and Bel Geddes was replaced with veteran actress Donna Reed
. Reed was fired from the show, just one year before her death in 1986, aged 64, from pancreatic cancer.
Bel Geddes came back in 1985 and stayed on until 1990, while Tilton left the show in 1985, but came back in 1988 and stayed on until 1990. Also in 1985, his co-star (Patrick Duffy
) left the show in order to pursue a career in TV movies, but thanks to Hagman's persuasion, decided to come back at the end of the 1985-86 season. By the end of its thirteenth season in 1991, ratings continued to slip and CBS
decided to end Dallas after a remarkable run. Hagman was the only actor to appear in all 357 episodes. Due to his character's popularity, he made five guest appearances on Knots Landing
, which itself was a spinoff from Dallas
s in the early 1980s. Hagman also appeared in two subsequent Dallas TV movies: J.R. Returns
in 1996, and War of the Ewings
in 1998.
Hagman will reprise his role as J.R. Ewing in TNT's continuation of Dallas, beginning in 2012.
as Judge Luther Charbonnet, lasting only eight episodes. By this time, Hagman ceased wearing his toupée
, which was first seen by the public when he appeared as a guest star during the fourth season of Nip/Tuck
.
and Bill Daily
and creator/producer Sidney Sheldon
on the The Donny and Marie Show
. In 2002, when I Dream Of Jeannie was set to join the cable channel TV Land
, Hagman once again took part in a I Dream Of Jeannie reunion with Eden and Daily, this time on Larry King Live
. On the TV Land Awards in March 2004, Hagman and Eden were the first presenters to reunite on stage. The following October, Hagman and Daily appeared at The Ray Courts Hollywood Autograph Show. And the following year, 2005 brought all three stars from I Dream Of Jeannie to the first ever cast reunion at The Chiller Expo Show.
Hagman reunited with Eden in March 2006 for a publicity tour in New York City
to promote the first season DVD of I Dream Of Jeannie. He reunited once again with Eden on stage in the play Love Letters at the College of Staten Island
in New York and the United States Military Academy
, West Point, New York
. The appearance marked the first time the two had acted together since Eden appeared with Hagman on Dallas in 1990.
In 2002, Hagman made an appearance in the fourth series of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer
's British comedy panel game
, Shooting Stars
. In January 2011, Hagman made a guest appearance in the 7th Season of Desperate Housewives
as a new husband for Lynette Scavo's mother, Stella (played by Polly Bergen
).
saying, "Refreshing Schlitz beer...the gusto's back..." and Hagman grinning into the camera and saying, "...and I'm gonna get it!" He also made commercials for B.V.D. brand underwear.
In 2010, Hagman has been hired as a spokesman for SolarWorld, a solar energy commercial enterprise. While the SolarWorld commercials do not specifically mention either Dallas or J.R. Ewing, Hagman essentially revisits the character (complete with a picture of Hagman as J.R. Ewing from the original series on the mantle), stating that his oil company days are long over, "though still in the energy business", meaning solar energy instead.
) was diagnosed with colon cancer
and died at the age of 76.
In 1954, Hagman married Swedish
-born Maj Axelsson and they had two children, Heidi Kristina (b. 1958) and Preston (b. 1962). Longtime residents of Malibu, California, they now live in Ojai, California
. He has been a member of the Peace and Freedom Party since the 1960s. Hagman derided President George W. Bush
, a fellow Texan, before the Iraq War. At a signing for his book he said "A sad figure (Bush)—not too well educated, who doesn't get out of America much. He's leading the country towards fascism". Hagman appeared at the Dublin races in 2008 with his wife.
Despite playing the very conservative J.R. Ewing, Hagman is a member of the Democratic Party
and supported Bill Clinton
, Al Gore
, John Kerry
, Hillary Clinton and later Barack Obama
in their respective bids for the United States Presidency
.
In 1967, friend musician David Crosby
, supplied him with LSD after a Crosby, Stills, and Nash concert: "LSD was such a profound experience in my life that it changed my pattern of life and my way of thinking and I could not exclude it." Hagman was introduced to marijuana
by Jack Nicholson
, as a safer alternative to Hagman's heavy drinking. Although Hagman says he no longer smokes marijuana and is on a "Twelve-step program
", he explains, "Marijuana is like being compared to alcohol and when you come right down to it, alcohol destroys your body and makes you do violent things, but with grass, you just sit back and enjoy life."
In 1982, he crowned the winner of the Miss Sweden competition in Stockholm
. During the coronation he wore a traditional Lapphatt and sang a Swedish folksong.
In August 1995, Hagman underwent a life-saving liver transplant
after admitting he had been a heavy drinker. Numerous reports state he was drinking four bottles of champagne a day on the set of Dallas. He was also a heavy smoker as a young man, but the cancer scare was the catalyst for him to quit. Hagman was so shaken by this incident that he immediately became strongly anti-smoking. He has recorded several public service announcements pleading with smokers to quit and urging non-smokers never to start. Hagman was the chairman of the American Cancer Society
's annual Great American Smokeout
for many years, and also worked on behalf of the National Kidney Foundation
.
In a 2007 interview, he talked about how he is now a major proponent of alternative energy. On an episode of Living With Ed
, Larry and Maj show actor Ed Begley, Jr. their solar powered, super energy efficient home and Larry talks about his green lifestyle.In early 2010, Hagman and Maj put their 43-acre estate called Heaven up for sale, which was valued at $9.5 million. The estate is located high in the hills of Ojai, California
. Maj began her career in cultural fashion in the late 1950s for modern-day celebrities. She designed the house and infused it with her trademark elegance and style. Both Hagman & Maj first purchased this entire property in 1991.
On October 14, 2011 Hagman announced he had being diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer, but declined to be more specific. He commented, "As J.R. I could get away with anything — bribery, blackmail and adultery", Hagman said in a statement. "But I got caught by cancer. 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.".
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
film and television actor, producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
known for playing J.R. Ewing
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...
in the 1980s primetime
Prime Time
Prime Time is an Irish news analysis, current affairs and politics programme. It is broadcast on RTÉ One on Tuesday and Thursday nights between 21:30 and 22:10. It is currently presented by Miriam O'Callaghan, who has presented the programme since its commencement in 1996...
television soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Dallas
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...
and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
.
Early life and career
Hagman was born in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. His mother, Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
, later became a Broadway actress and his father, Benjamin Jack Hagman, was a district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
. His parents divorced in 1936 when he was five years old. He lived with his grandmother in Texas and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His famous mother became a contract player with Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 1938 and occasionally took him to her movies.
In 1940 his mother met and married Richard Halliday and gave birth to a daughter, Heller, the following year. Hagman attended the strict Black-Foxe Military Institute
Black-Foxe Military Institute
The Black-Foxe Military Institute was a private school on both sides of Wilcox Ave. in Hollywood, adjacent to the Wilshire Country Club to the west and south and the Los Angeles Tennis Club to the east....
(now closed). When his mother moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to continue her Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
career, Hagman again lived with his grandmother in California. A couple of years later, his grandmother died and Hagman joined his mother in New York. At age 14 (in 1945) while attending boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
, he began drinking heavily which led to serious health problems later in life.
In 1946 Hagman moved back to his hometown of Weatherford
Weatherford, Texas
Weatherford is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,000 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Parker County and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.-Geography:...
, where he worked on a ranch owned by a friend of his father. After attending Weatherford High School, he was drawn to drama classes and reputedly fell in love with the stage and, in particular, with the warm reception he got for his comedic roles. He developed a reputation as a talented performer and in between school terms, would take minor roles in local stage productions. Hagman graduated from high school in 1949, when his mother suggested that he try acting as a profession.
Hagman began his career in Dallas, Texas working as a production assistant
Production assistant
A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production...
and acting in small roles in Margo Jones
Margo Jones
Margo Jones was an influential American stage director and producer best known for launching the American regional theater movement and for introducing the theater-in-the-round concept in Dallas, Texas. In 1947, she established the first regional professional company when she opened Theatre ’47 in...
' Theater in 1950 during a break from his one year at Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
. He appeared in The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
in New York City, followed by numerous tent show musicals with St. John Terrell's Music Circus in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, and Lambertville, New Jersey
Lambertville, New Jersey
Lambertville is a city in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,906.Lambertville was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1849, from portions of West Amwell Township...
. In 1951, Hagman appeared in the London production of South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
with his mother, and stayed in the show for nearly a year.
In 1952, during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Hagman was drafted into the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Stationed in London, he spent the majority of his military service entertaining U.S. troops in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and at bases in Europe.
Stage/TV and film actor
After leaving the Air Force in 1956, Hagman returned to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he appeared in the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
play Once Around the Block, by William Saroyan
William Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
, and received excellent reviews. That was followed by nearly a year in another Off Broadway play, James Lee's Career. Despite his success, his career was overshadowed by his mother's fame, which was in ascendancy due to her starring role in a TV production of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
(in a role she had already played on Broadway). Larry Hagman's Broadway debut occurred in 1958 in Comes a Day. Hagman appeared in four other Broadway plays, God and Kate Murphy, The Nervous Set, The Warm Peninsula and The Beauty Part.
During this period, Hagman appeared in numerous, mostly live, television programs. In 1958 he joined Barbara Bain
Barbara Bain
Millicent Fogel , known professionally as Barbara Bain, is an American actress.-Early life:Bain was born in Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in sociology. She moved to New York City, where she was a dancer and high fashion model. Bain studied with...
as a guest star in the short-lived adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
series Harbourmaster
Harbourmaster (TV series)
Harbormaster is an American adventure/drama series that premiered on September 26, 1957 on CBS. In January 1958, the series was renamed Adventure at Scott Island and began airing on ABC. Harbormaster was a Ziv production .-Synopsis:The series stars Barry Sullivan as ship's captain and crime chaser...
. Hagman joined the cast of The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
in 1961 as Ed Gibson, and stayed in that role for two years. In 1964 he made his film debut in Ensign Pulver
Ensign Pulver
Ensign Pulver is a 1964 American film and a sequel to the 1955 film Mister Roberts. The movie features Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Walter Matthau, Tommy Sands, Millie Perkins, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Jack Nicholson, Richard Gautier, George Lindsey, James Farentino, and James Coco.- Synopsis...
, which featured young unknown Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
. That same year, Hagman also appeared in Fail-Safe
Fail-Safe (1964 film)
Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It tells the story of a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis...
, opposite Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
.
Versatile character actor
Aged 25, Hagman made his television debut on an episode of Decoy. He appeared on other series such as: Goodyear Television Playhouse, Studio One, Kraft Television Theatre, Harbourmaster, The DuPont Show of the Month, Sea HuntSea Hunt
Sea Hunt was an American adventure television series that was aired in syndication by Ziv Television Programs from 1958 to 1961 and was popular in syndication for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced...
, The United States Steel Hour, The Defenders, Diagnosis: Unknown
Diagnosis: Unknown
Diagnosis: Unknown is an American medical drama that aired on CBS from July 5 to September 20, 1960. Produced by Bob Banner, the series aired as a summer replacement for The Garry Moore Show, a variety program.-Synopsis:...
, Mr. Broadway
Mr. Broadway
Mr. Broadway is a 13-episode CBS adventure and drama television series starring Craig Stevens , formerly of Peter Gunn, as New York City public relations specialist Mike Bell. The program aired at 9 p.m. Eastern time Saturdays from September 26 to December 26, 1964...
, Love American Style, Medical Center
Medical Center (TV series)
Medical Center is a medical drama series which aired on CBS from 1969 to 1976.-Synopsis:The show starred James Daly as Dr. Paul Lochner and Chad Everett as Dr. Joe Gannon, surgeons working in an otherwise unnamed university hospital in Los Angeles. The show focused both on the lives of the doctors...
, McCloud, Love Story, Lucas Tanner
Lucas Tanner
Lucas Tanner is an NBC television drama that aired during the 1974-75 season. The title character, played by David Hartman, was a former baseball player and sportswriter who became an english teacher at the fictional Harry S. Truman High School in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis...
, The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
, Police Woman
Police Woman (TV series)
Police Woman is an American television police drama starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978.-Synopsis:...
, Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. It starred Robert Young as a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, and was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell...
, Three for the Road
Three for the Road (TV series)
Three for the Road was a 12-episode CBS drama television series about a recently widowed father and his two sons who in an attempt to assuage their grief, sell their house, procure a recreational vehicle, called the "Zebec", and travel around the United States...
, Harry O, The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
, Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
, McMillan & Wife, Police Story, 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...
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, and Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
.
I Dream of Jeannie
After years of guest-starring in many TV roles, and starring in a less successful series the previous year, Hagman hit the jackpot in 1965 playing Barbara EdenBarbara Eden
Barbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
’s TV "master" and eventual love interest, Air Force Captain (later Major) Anthony Nelson in the sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The show had climbed into the Top 10 in its first year and was NBC's answer to both successful 1960s magical comedies
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
on ABC and My Favorite Martian
My Favorite Martian
My Favorite Martian is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963 to May 1, 1966 for 107 episodes...
on CBS. In its first season I Dream of Jeannie was not filmed in color, which was prohibitively expensive at the time. From the 2nd season (1966) on, however, the show was filmed in color in recognition of the widespread purchase and use of color televisions by the viewing public. During the show's first season Hagman's astronaut character was promoted from Captain to Major. By 1970 Jeannie was running out of steam, and during the last season Hagman’s character finally married Jeannie.
There were two reunion movies both televised on NBC: I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later
I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later
I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later is a 1985 made-for-television reunion film based on the 1965-70 series I Dream of Jeannie which aired on NBC on October 20, 1985 and produced by Columbia Pictures Television....
(1985) and I Still Dream of Jeannie
I Still Dream of Jeannie
I Still Dream of Jeannie is a 1991 made-for-television reunion film based on the 1965-70 series I Dream of Jeannie which aired on NBC on October 20, 1991 and produced by Columbia Pictures Television....
(1991). Hagman refused to appear in the first reunion movie, reportedly because of a payment dispute.
1970s work
After Jeannie was canceled, Hagman had two other short-lived series in the 1970s: Here We Go AgainHere We Go Again (TV series)
Here We Go Again is a short-lived sitcom that aired on the American Broadcasting Company in 1973. The show, produced by Metromedia/Bobka Productions, ran for 13 episodes.-Premise:...
and The Good Life
The Good Life (1971 TV series)
The Good Life is an American situation comedy which was aired on NBC as part of its 1971-72 lineup. The series stars Larry Hagman and Donna Mills, and was produced by Lorimar, in association with Screen Gems.-Synopsis:...
. He also appeared in such television films as Getting Away From It All, Sidekicks, The Return Of The World's Greatest Detective, Intimate Strangers, and Checkered Flag Or Crash.
Hagman appeared in the theatrical films The Group
The Group
The Group may refer to:*The Group , by Mary McCarthy*The Group , by Sidney Lumet, based on the book*The Group , a group of British poets of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
, Harry and Tonto
Harry and Tonto
Harry and Tonto is a 1974 road movie written by Paul Mazursky and Josh Greenfeld and directed by Mazursky, starring Art Carney.-Synopsis:...
, Mother, Jugs & Speed
Mother, Jugs & Speed
Mother, Jugs & Speed is a 1976 black comedy film directed by Peter Yates. It stars Bill Cosby , Raquel Welch , Harvey Keitel , and Larry Hagman as employees of an independent ambulance service trying to survive in Los Angeles.-Plot:...
, The Eagle Has Landed
The Eagle Has Landed
The Eagle Has Landed is a book by Jack Higgins set during World War II. It first published in 1975. It was made into a film of the same name in 1976 starring Michael Caine...
, Superman, Nixon
Nixon (film)
Nixon is a 1995 American biographical film directed by Oliver Stone for Cinergi Pictures that tells the story of the political and personal life of former US President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins....
and Primary Colors. He directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
(and appeared briefly in) a low-budget comedy and horror film in 1972 called Beware The Blob (a sequel to the classic 1958 horror film, The Blob
The Blob
The Blob is an independently made 1958 American horror/science-fiction film that depicts a giant amoeba-like alien that terrorizes the small community of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania...
). Some have jokingly called this "the film that J.R. shot".
Dallas
Hagman was cast as the conniving elder son and businessman, J.R. Ewing, a man whom everybody loved to hate for the long-running series DallasDallas (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...
. Already starring on the show were legendary stage and screen actress Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes was an American actress, artist and children's author. She is best known for her role in the television drama series Dallas as matriarch Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing. Bel Geddes also starred in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the role of Maggie...
and Hagman's childhood movie hero Jim Davis
Jim Davis (actor)
Jim Davis was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap Dallas, a role which he held up until his death in April 1981.-Biography:...
as her husband and J.R.'s father Jock Ewing. In addition, the Dallas cast included a number of unfamiliar, yet promising actors, including Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy
Patrick George Duffy is an American character actor of stage and film. He is best known for his role on the CBS television drama Dallas, where he played Bobby Ewing from 1978 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1991, Duffy returns to reprise his role as Bobby in a new up-to-date Dallas currently scheduled to...
, Steve Kanaly
Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis "Steve" Kanaly is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs, foreman of the Southfork Ranch, on the television soap opera Dallas from 1978 to 1989. He reprised the role for the final episode of the series in 1991, and again for the made-for-TV reunion movie Dallas:...
, Ken Kercheval
Ken Kercheval
Ken Kercheval is an American actor, best known for his role as Cliff Barnes on the television series Dallas....
, teen-aged Charlene Tilton
Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton is an American actress and singer. She is best known for playing Lucy Ewing in the television series Dallas.-Career:...
and Victoria Principal
Victoria Principal
Victoria Principal is an American actress, best known for her role as Pamela Barnes Ewing on the CBS nighttime drama Dallas from 1978 to 1987.-Early life:...
. When Hagman read the script for the role of J.R. at his wife's suggestion, they both concluded it was perfect for him. Another attraction for Hagman was that, as a native Texan
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, he did not have to travel far from his hometown of Fort Worth for some of the filming.
In mid-1978, the producers originally intended that the series would emphasize the lives of Bobby and Pam, and it was not expected to be a ratings bonanza. In fact, the producers anticipated having to cancel the show after only five episodes. However, thanks to the strong fan following for Hagman's portrayal of J.R., he was credited as being the star who saved the show, it being offered a full first season, on the strength of excellent mini-series ratings. Seen in over 90 countries, the show was a worldwide success and Hagman became one of the most reliable and supportive network stars. By the end of its second season, Dallas was a bonafide
Good faith
In philosophy, the concept of Good faith—Latin bona fides “good faith”, bona fide “in good faith”—denotes sincere, honest intention or belief, regardless of the outcome of an action; the opposed concepts are bad faith, mala fides and perfidy...
hit. Producers were keen to capitalize on that love/hate family relationship of J.R.'s, building anticipation to a fever-pitch in a cliff hanger season finale in which J.R. is shot.
At the beginning of Dallas' third season, audience and actors were guessing "Who Shot J.R.?
Who shot J.R.?
Who shot J. R.? is an advertising catchphrase that American network CBS created in 1980 to promote the television series Dallas.In the final scene of the 1979–1980 season, the character J. R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was shot by a hidden assailant. The episode, titled "A House Divided", was...
". During the media buildup, Hagman was involved in contract negotiations delaying his return in the third season. Holding out for a higher salary, Hagman did not appear in the first episode of the show until the final few minutes, despite all the media and fan frenzy over the fate of J.R. Producers were faced with a dilemma whether to pay the greatly increased salary or to write J.R. out of the picture. CBS began taping different episodes of Dallas
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...
which did not include Hagman. In the midst of negotiations, Hagman took his family to London for their July vacation. He continued to fight for his demands and network executives conceded that the show really could not go on without him. From the third season, Hagman was paid a huge amount per episode.
At the beginning of the third season, writers were told to keep the storylines away from the actors until they really found out who actually shot J.R., and it took at least three weeks until the culprit was revealed on November 21, 1980. In 1981, Hagman's co-star Jim Davis
Jim Davis (actor)
Jim Davis was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap Dallas, a role which he held up until his death in April 1981.-Biography:...
was diagnosed with brain cancer
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. Despite his illness he was retained on the show, so that he was not only written out of the show but died in real-life. His character was first sent off to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
to work on the oil fields. The following year he died. The show did an episode surrounding Jock's death/disappearance in the 4th season. They said his helicopter crashed in the jungles of South America and sunk to the bottom of a lake. During the fall of 1981, his character met Clayton Farlow
Clayton Farlow
Clayton Farlow was a main character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Howard Keel .Clayton Farlow, along with his sister Jessica, were raised on the Southern Cross Ranch in San Angelo, Texas. Jessica was wild in her teenage years and developed a serious violent mental...
(played by singer and 1950s moviestar Howard Keel
Howard Keel
Harold Clifford Keel , known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer. He starred in many film musicals of the 1950s...
), who became his on-screen stepfather, for the next decade.
For his work as J.R. Ewing, Hagman was nominated for two Emmys
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
between 1980 and 1981, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, but did not win. He was also nominated for four Golden Globes
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
, between 1981 and 1983 and one in 1985, losing both. He was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award
Soap Opera Digest Awards
The Soap Opera Digest Awards were an awards show held by the daytime television magazine Soap Opera Digest. The awards were founded in 1984 to replace the less-lavish Soapy Award; those awards shows had run since 1977. The Soap Opera Digest Awards are meant to promote excellence in the soap opera...
seven times for Outstanding Villain on a Prime Time Serial, Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role on a Prime Time Serial, Favorite Super Couple: Prime Time and Outstanding Actor in a Comic Relief Role on a Prime Time Serial, and won five times. In 1984, co-star (Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes was an American actress, artist and children's author. She is best known for her role in the television drama series Dallas as matriarch Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing. Bel Geddes also starred in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the role of Maggie...
) left the show after suffering a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. At one point, Hagman suggested to his real-life mother (Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
) that she play Miss Ellie, but she refused and Bel Geddes was replaced with veteran actress Donna Reed
Donna Reed
Donna Reed was an American film and television actress.With appearances in over 40 films, Reed received the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the tramp Lorene in the war drama From Here to Eternity. She is also noted for her role in the perennial Christmas...
. Reed was fired from the show, just one year before her death in 1986, aged 64, from pancreatic cancer.
Bel Geddes came back in 1985 and stayed on until 1990, while Tilton left the show in 1985, but came back in 1988 and stayed on until 1990. Also in 1985, his co-star (Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy
Patrick George Duffy is an American character actor of stage and film. He is best known for his role on the CBS television drama Dallas, where he played Bobby Ewing from 1978 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1991, Duffy returns to reprise his role as Bobby in a new up-to-date Dallas currently scheduled to...
) left the show in order to pursue a career in TV movies, but thanks to Hagman's persuasion, decided to come back at the end of the 1985-86 season. By the end of its thirteenth season in 1991, ratings continued to slip and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
decided to end Dallas after a remarkable run. Hagman was the only actor to appear in all 357 episodes. Due to his character's popularity, he made five guest appearances on 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...
, which itself was a spinoff from Dallas
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...
s in the early 1980s. Hagman also appeared in two subsequent Dallas TV movies: J.R. Returns
Dallas: J.R. Returns
Dallas: J.R. Returns is the first of the two Dallas reunion movies to air after the series went off the air. It originally aired on CBS on November 15, 1996, and recently was rerun as part of TV Land's salute to 50 years of Warner Bros. Television....
in 1996, and War of the Ewings
Dallas: War of the Ewings
Dallas: War of the Ewings was the second of the two Dallas reunion movies. It aired on CBS on April 24, 1998, a little less than a year and a half after the first movie, Dallas: J.R...
in 1998.
Hagman will reprise his role as J.R. Ewing in TNT's continuation of Dallas, beginning in 2012.
After Dallas
In January 1997, Larry starred in a short lived TV series named OrleansOrleans (TV series)
Orleans is a short lived American drama series that aired on CBS from January 7, 1997 through April 10, 1997. It ran for only 8 episodes. The series was said to be inspired by the experiences of creater producer Toni Graphia, who was the daughter of a Louisiana judge.-Synopsis:The show was...
as Judge Luther Charbonnet, lasting only eight episodes. By this time, Hagman ceased wearing his toupée
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
, which was first seen by the public when he appeared as a guest star during the fourth season of Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
.
I Dream of Jeannie again
In November 1999, after 29 years, Hagman agreed to reunite with Jeannie co-stars Barbara EdenBarbara Eden
Barbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
and Bill Daily
Bill Daily
Bill Daily is an American comedian and dramatic actor, and a veteran of many television sitcoms. He is best known for playing astronaut Roger Healey on I Dream of Jeannie and commercial airline navigator Howard Borden in The Bob Newhart Show.-Biography:Daily's father died when Bill was very...
and creator/producer Sidney Sheldon
Sidney Sheldon
Sidney Sheldon was an Academy Award-winning American writer. His TV works spanned a 20-year period during which he created The Patty Duke Show , I Dream of Jeannie and Hart to Hart , but he became most famous after he turned 50 and began writing best-selling novels such as Master of the Game ,...
on the The Donny and Marie Show
Donny & Marie (1998 TV series)
Donny & Marie was an American talk show hosted by Donny and Marie Osmond, that aired in syndication from September 1998 to May 2000. The show had a "house band", featuring Jerry Williams , Kat Dyson , Paul Peterson , and Nick Vincent . The show aired from 1998 to 2000.-External links:*...
. In 2002, when I Dream Of Jeannie was set to join the cable channel TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
, Hagman once again took part in a I Dream Of Jeannie reunion with Eden and Daily, this time on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
. On the TV Land Awards in March 2004, Hagman and Eden were the first presenters to reunite on stage. The following October, Hagman and Daily appeared at The Ray Courts Hollywood Autograph Show. And the following year, 2005 brought all three stars from I Dream Of Jeannie to the first ever cast reunion at The Chiller Expo Show.
Hagman reunited with Eden in March 2006 for a publicity tour in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to promote the first season DVD of I Dream Of Jeannie. He reunited once again with Eden on stage in the play Love Letters at the College of Staten Island
College of Staten Island
The College of Staten Island is a four-year, senior college of and is one of the 11 senior colleges in the City University of New York. Programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional studies lead to bachelor's and associate's degrees. The master's degree is awarded in 13 professional...
in New York and the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
. The appearance marked the first time the two had acted together since Eden appeared with Hagman on Dallas in 1990.
In 2002, Hagman made an appearance in the fourth series of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer
Vic and Bob
Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer , more commonly known simply as Vic and Bob or Reeves and Mortimer, are a British comedy double act...
's British comedy panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
, Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011...
. In January 2011, Hagman made a guest appearance in the 7th Season of Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
as a new husband for Lynette Scavo's mother, Stella (played by Polly Bergen
Polly Bergen
Polly Bergen is an American actress, singer, and entrepreneur.-Career:Bergen appeared in many film roles, most notably in the original Cape Fear opposite Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum...
).
TV Commercials
During the 1980s, Hagman was featured in a national televised Schlitz beer campaign, playing on - but not explicitly featuring - Hagman's J.R. character from Dallas. Hagman wore the same kind of western business outfit - complete with cowboy hat - that he wore playing J.R. Ewing. The end of each 30-second spot featured a male voice-overVoice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
saying, "Refreshing Schlitz beer...the gusto's back..." and Hagman grinning into the camera and saying, "...and I'm gonna get it!" He also made commercials for B.V.D. brand underwear.
In 2010, Hagman has been hired as a spokesman for SolarWorld, a solar energy commercial enterprise. While the SolarWorld commercials do not specifically mention either Dallas or J.R. Ewing, Hagman essentially revisits the character (complete with a picture of Hagman as J.R. Ewing from the original series on the mantle), stating that his oil company days are long over, "though still in the energy business", meaning solar energy instead.
Personal life
In 1973, stepfather Richard Halliday died, and Hagman reconciled with his mother soon after. The two became close until his mother's own death in 1990, his mother (Mary MartinMary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
) was diagnosed with colon cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
and died at the age of 76.
In 1954, Hagman married Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-born Maj Axelsson and they had two children, Heidi Kristina (b. 1958) and Preston (b. 1962). Longtime residents of Malibu, California, they now live in Ojai, California
Ojai, California
Ojai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley , surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,461 at the 2010 census, down from 7,862 at the 2000 census.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley...
. He has been a member of the Peace and Freedom Party since the 1960s. Hagman derided President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, a fellow Texan, before the Iraq War. At a signing for his book he said "A sad figure (Bush)—not too well educated, who doesn't get out of America much. He's leading the country towards fascism". Hagman appeared at the Dublin races in 2008 with his wife.
Despite playing the very conservative J.R. Ewing, Hagman is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and supported Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, Hillary Clinton and later Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in their respective bids for the United States Presidency
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
In 1967, friend musician David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
, supplied him with LSD after a Crosby, Stills, and Nash concert: "LSD was such a profound experience in my life that it changed my pattern of life and my way of thinking and I could not exclude it." Hagman was introduced to marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
by Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
, as a safer alternative to Hagman's heavy drinking. Although Hagman says he no longer smokes marijuana and is on a "Twelve-step program
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
", he explains, "Marijuana is like being compared to alcohol and when you come right down to it, alcohol destroys your body and makes you do violent things, but with grass, you just sit back and enjoy life."
In 1982, he crowned the winner of the Miss Sweden competition in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. During the coronation he wore a traditional Lapphatt and sang a Swedish folksong.
In August 1995, Hagman underwent a life-saving liver transplant
Liver transplantation
Liver transplantation or hepatic transplantation is the replacement of a diseased liver with a healthy liver allograft. The most commonly used technique is orthotopic transplantation, in which the native liver is removed and replaced by the donor organ in the same anatomic location as the original...
after admitting he had been a heavy drinker. Numerous reports state he was drinking four bottles of champagne a day on the set of Dallas. He was also a heavy smoker as a young man, but the cancer scare was the catalyst for him to quit. Hagman was so shaken by this incident that he immediately became strongly anti-smoking. He has recorded several public service announcements pleading with smokers to quit and urging non-smokers never to start. Hagman was the chairman of the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
's annual Great American Smokeout
Great American Smokeout
The Great American Smokeout is a social engineering experiment on the third Thursday of November in the United States encouraging Americans to stop tobacco smoking. The American Cancer Society held its first Smokeout in San Francisco's Union Square Nov.16th 1977...
for many years, and also worked on behalf of the National Kidney Foundation
National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation, Inc. is a major voluntary health organization in the United States, headquartered in New York City...
.
In a 2007 interview, he talked about how he is now a major proponent of alternative energy. On an episode of Living With Ed
Living With Ed
Living With Ed is an American reality television show.It was originally shown on HGTV in 2007. In 2009 a new version began showing on the new Planet Green channel....
, Larry and Maj show actor Ed Begley, Jr. their solar powered, super energy efficient home and Larry talks about his green lifestyle.In early 2010, Hagman and Maj put their 43-acre estate called Heaven up for sale, which was valued at $9.5 million. The estate is located high in the hills of Ojai, California
Ojai, California
Ojai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley , surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,461 at the 2010 census, down from 7,862 at the 2000 census.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley...
. Maj began her career in cultural fashion in the late 1950s for modern-day celebrities. She designed the house and infused it with her trademark elegance and style. Both Hagman & Maj first purchased this entire property in 1991.
On October 14, 2011 Hagman announced he had being diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer, but declined to be more specific. He commented, "As J.R. I could get away with anything — bribery, blackmail and adultery", Hagman said in a statement. "But I got caught by cancer. 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.".
Filmography
- Search for TomorrowSearch for TomorrowSearch for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
(1951) (TV-series) - The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1958) (TV-film)
- The Edge of NightThe Edge of NightThe Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
(1956) (TV-series) - The Silver Burro (1963) (TV-film)
- The Cavern (1965)
- Ensign PulverEnsign PulverEnsign Pulver is a 1964 American film and a sequel to the 1955 film Mister Roberts. The movie features Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Walter Matthau, Tommy Sands, Millie Perkins, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Jack Nicholson, Richard Gautier, George Lindsey, James Farentino, and James Coco.- Synopsis...
(1964) - Fail-SafeFail-Safe (1964 film)Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It tells the story of a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis...
(1964) - In Harm's WayIn Harm's WayIn Harm's Way is a 1965 American epic war film produced and directed by Otto Preminger and starring John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon, Paula Prentiss, Stanley Holloway, Burgess Meredith, Brandon De Wilde, Jill Haworth, Dana Andrews, and Henry Fonda.It was the last black-and-white...
(1965) - I Dream of JeannieI Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
(1965) (TV-series) - The Rogues (1964) (TV-series)
- The GroupThe Group (film)The Group is a 1966 ensemble film directed by Sidney Lumet based on the novel of the same name by Mary McCarthy about a group of female graduates from a Connecticut College-like college during the early 1930s....
(1966) - Three's a Crowd (1969) (TV-film)
- Up in the Cellar (1970)
- Vanished (1971) (TV-film)
- The Hired Hand (1971) (TV-film)
- The Good Life (1971) (TV-series)
- A Howling in the Woods (1971) (TV-film)
- Getting Away from It All (1972) (TV-film)
- Beware! The BlobBeware! The BlobBeware! The Blob is a 1972 sequel to horror science-fiction film The Blob. The film was directed by Larry Hagman. The screenplay was penned by Anthony Harris and Jack Woods III, based on a story by Jack H. Harris and Richard Clair...
(1972) (directorial debut) - No Place to Run (1972) (TV-film)
- Antonio (1973)
- Here We Go AgainHere We Go Again (TV series)Here We Go Again is a short-lived sitcom that aired on the American Broadcasting Company in 1973. The show, produced by Metromedia/Bobka Productions, ran for 13 episodes.-Premise:...
(1973) (TV series) - Applause (1973) (TV) .... Bill Sampson
- The Toy Game (1973) .... Major
- The Alpha Caper (1973) (TV) .... Tudor
- Blood Sport (1973) (TV) .... Coach Marshall
- What Are Best Friends For? (1973) (TV-film)
- StardustStardust (1974 film)Stardust is a 1974 British film directed by Michael Apted and starring David Essex and Adam Faith. The film is the sequel to the 1973 film That'll Be The Day...
(1974) - Sidekicks (1974) (TV-film)
- Harry and TontoHarry and TontoHarry and Tonto is a 1974 road movie written by Paul Mazursky and Josh Greenfeld and directed by Mazursky, starring Art Carney.-Synopsis:...
(1974) - Hurricane (1974) (TV-film)
- Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage AlcoholicSarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage AlcoholicSarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic is a 1975 made-for-TV film about a teenager who becomes an alcoholic.-Plot Summary:Sarah Travis is a 15 year old teenager going through a lot of stress and insecurity. Sarah comes from divorced parents, she lives with her mother and step-father and she...
(1975) (TV-film) - The Big Rip-Off (1975) (TV-film)
- Mother, Jugs & SpeedMother, Jugs & SpeedMother, Jugs & Speed is a 1976 black comedy film directed by Peter Yates. It stars Bill Cosby , Raquel Welch , Harvey Keitel , and Larry Hagman as employees of an independent ambulance service trying to survive in Los Angeles.-Plot:...
(1976) - The Return of the World's Greatest Detective (1976) (TV-film)
- The Big BusThe Big BusThe Big Bus is a 1976 American James Frawley spoof comedy starring Stockard Channing and Joe Bologna. A spoof of most disaster movies popular at the time, it follows the maiden cross-country trip—New York to Denver, non-stop—of an enormous nuclear powered bus named Cyclops equipped with a bowling...
(1976) - The Eagle Has LandedThe Eagle Has Landed (film)The Eagle Has Landed is a 1976 film version of the novel The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins. It was directed by John Sturges and starred Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland and Robert Duvall...
(1976) - Cry for Justice (1977)
- The Rhinemann Exchange (1977) (TV-mini-series)
- Checkered Flag or CrashCheckered Flag or CrashCheckered Flag or Crash is a 1977 film about off-road racing through the Philippines jungle, starring Joe Don Baker and Susan Sarandon and featuring Larry Hagman, Alan Vint and Parnelli Jones...
(1977) - Intimate Strangers (1977) (TV-film)
- A Double Life (1978) (TV-film)
- The President's MistressThe President's MistressThe President's Mistress is a 1978 American television film produced by Kings Road Entertainment featuring Beau Bridges, Susan Blanchard and Larry Hagman.-Plot:...
(1978) (TV-film) - Last of the Good Guys (1978) (TV-film)
- DallasDallas (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...
(1978) (TV-series) - Superman (1978)
- S.O.B. (1981)
- I Am Blushing (1981)
- Deadly Encounter (1982) (TV-film)
- Dallas: The Early YearsDallas: The Early YearsDallas: The Early Years was a made for television movie that first aired on March 23, 1986 on CBS during the eighth season of the TV series Dallas...
(1986) (TV-film) - Lone Star (1986) (TV documentary)
- JFK (1991)
- Ein Schloß am Wörthersee (1992) (German TV-series)
- Staying Afloat (1993) (TV-film)
- NixonNixon (film)Nixon is a 1995 American biographical film directed by Oliver Stone for Cinergi Pictures that tells the story of the political and personal life of former US President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins....
(1995) - Dallas: J.R. ReturnsDallas: J.R. ReturnsDallas: J.R. Returns is the first of the two Dallas reunion movies to air after the series went off the air. It originally aired on CBS on November 15, 1996, and recently was rerun as part of TV Land's salute to 50 years of Warner Bros. Television....
(1996) (TV-film) - OrleansOrleans (TV series)Orleans is a short lived American drama series that aired on CBS from January 7, 1997 through April 10, 1997. It ran for only 8 episodes. The series was said to be inspired by the experiences of creater producer Toni Graphia, who was the daughter of a Louisiana judge.-Synopsis:The show was...
(1997) (TV-series) - The Third Twin (1997) (TV-film)
- Primary Colors (1998)
- Dallas: War of the EwingsDallas: War of the EwingsDallas: War of the Ewings was the second of the two Dallas reunion movies. It aired on CBS on April 24, 1998, a little less than a year and a half after the first movie, Dallas: J.R...
(1998) (TV-film) - Nip/TuckNip/TuckNip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
(2006) (TV-series) - LindenstraßeLindenstraßeLindenstraße is a German television show on ARD's Das Erste, one of Germany's two publicly administered TV channels. The first episode was aired on December 8, 1985, and since then has been broadcast weekly. Its current timeslot on Das Erste is Sundays at 6:50 pm...
(2006) (German Soap Opera) - CómplicesCómplices- Tour :Complices Tour was a concert tour by the Mexican singer Luis Miguel to promote his last album Cómplices. On this tour, Luis Miguel performed his last pop and ballad songs, his Mexican songs, and also his back-catalogue...
(2009) (Spanish Soap Opera) - Desperate HousewivesDesperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
(2010) - Dallas (2012)
External links
- Larry Hagman Official website
- Larry Hagman's Official Website
- Larry Hagman: Vita Celebratio Est (TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine profile, Aug. 11, 1980) - Love Letters New York
- Hagman profile at www.emmytvlegends.org