The infamous, scheming J.R. Ewing is officially back at Southfork and ready to take over the newest Ewing venture, Ewing Energies. But with his scheming son John Ross out to prove himself, J.R. might need to step up his game and show his own son how it's really done. J.R. knows the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree and continues to enlist the help of John Ross to claim total ownership of Ewing Energies. After years of fighting over power and oil, J.R.'s relationship with his brother Bobby is strained, despite Bobby's best efforts to put their past behind them. J.R. still has oil in his blood and on his brain, and he will stop at nothing to take back power and seize control of Southfork and Ewing Energies once and for all.
The iconic Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor Larry Hagman gives his farewell performance in Dallas as the infamous, scheming J.R. Ewing, a role he originated in the original series, which was one of the most popular in television history.
Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 21, the son of actress Mary Martin and attorney Ben Hagman. When his parents divorced, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his grandmother. After his grandmother's death, Hagman, who was only 12 at the time, returned to his mother, who had since remarried and was pursuing a successful Broadway career. Hagman decided to give acting a try himself and, after making a mark on and off Broadway and in regional theater, he started getting work on television.
Hagman starred in the classic television series I Dream of Jeannie as amiable astronaut Major Anthony Nelson, whose life becomes complicated by the presence of a gorgeous blonde genie, played by Barbara Eden. The series ran for five seasons and became a massive hit in syndication. After appearing in many other series, telefilms and features, including The Good Life, Here We Go Again, The Rockford Files and Richard Donner's Superman, Hagman landed the role that has made him recognized the world over.
Dallas, the saga of an excessively rich Texas family, was one of the boldest, brassiest, most talked-about shows ever and Hagman, as the despicable, corrupt, merciless, millionaire J.R. Ewing -- the man everyone loved to hate -- was its centerpiece. For his performance, Hagman was nominated for two Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He also won a Bambi Award from Germany, five Soap Opera Digest Awards and countless other nominations. The series ran for an unprecedented 13 seasons, from 1978 to 1991, and the episode in which viewers learn the answer to the oft-asked question "Who shot J.R.?" remains the second highest-rated TV episode in the history of the medium, with an estimated 350 million fans worldwide glued to their television sets.
After the original series ended, Hagman went on to reprise his role in two telefilms, Dallas: J.R. Returns and Dallas: War of the Ewings, which he executive produced. Additionally, in 1985, while starring on Dallas, since Hagman's name had become synonymous with Texas, it was fitting that he host a documentary on the history of Texas: Lone Star, an eight-part series for PBS, celebrated the 150th anniversary of Texas as an independent republic.
On August 23, 1995, Hagman received a liver transplant that took 16 hours and saved his life. After the surgery and feeling better than he had in years, Hagman worked on several projects one after the next. The first was the four-hour miniseries The Third Twin, based on Ken Follett's best-selling novel. He also portrayed the recurring role of Judge Luther Charbonnet on the television series Orleans.
Hagman also starred in Mike Nichols' feature film Primary Colors, based on the best-selling book by Anonymous -- later acknowledged as journalist Joe Klein -- which starred John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates and Adrian Lester, among others. Hagman played Governor Picker, an anti-politics politician who posed a serious threat to Governor Stanton's (John Travolta) bid for office. Another presidential film Hagman appeared in was Oliver Stone's Nixon, along with Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Ed Harris and Bob Hoskins and others. With the rest of the ensemble, Hagman was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast.
Hagman appeared in several recurring roles in popular TV series over the last few years. He guest-starred in the acclaimed series Nip/Tuck in the recurring role of Burt Landau, a business executive who desires cosmetic surgery of an intimate nature; voiced a character in an episode of The Simpsons; and, just last year, had an arc on the hit series Desperate Housewives.
Hagman was actively involved in numerous civic and philanthropic activities. An adamant nonsmoker, Hagman was chairperson of the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout" from 1981 to 1992. He even has an instructional home video, Larry Hagman: Stop Smoking for Life, with proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society. Hagman also served as the National Spokesperson for the 1996 U.S. Transplant Games presented by the National Kidney Foundation, receiving the foundation's Public Service Award for his efforts in heightening public awareness of the importance of organ donation.
Hagman, who passed away in November, enjoyed spending time with his family more than anything. He and his wife, Maj, lived on a ranch in Ojai, Calif., but also divided their time between Santa Monica, California, and a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to his love for motorcycles, Hagman also enjoyed fishing, traveling and collecting hats and flags.
Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 21, the son of actress Mary Martin and attorney Ben Hagman. When his parents divorced, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his grandmother. After his grandmother's death, Hagman, who was only 12 at the time, returned to his mother, who had since remarried and was pursuing a successful Broadway career. Hagman decided to give acting a try himself and, after making a mark on and off Broadway and in regional theater, he started getting work on television.
Hagman starred in the classic television series I Dream of Jeannie as amiable astronaut Major Anthony Nelson, whose life becomes complicated by the presence of a gorgeous blonde genie, played by Barbara Eden. The series ran for five seasons and became a massive hit in syndication. After appearing in many other series, telefilms and features, including The Good Life, Here We Go Again, The Rockford Files and Richard Donner's Superman, Hagman landed the role that has made him recognized the world over.
Dallas, the saga of an excessively rich Texas family, was one of the boldest, brassiest, most talked-about shows ever and Hagman, as the despicable, corrupt, merciless, millionaire J.R. Ewing -- the man everyone loved to hate -- was its centerpiece. For his performance, Hagman was nominated for two Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He also won a Bambi Award from Germany, five Soap Opera Digest Awards and countless other nominations. The series ran for an unprecedented 13 seasons, from 1978 to 1991, and the episode in which viewers learn the answer to the oft-asked question "Who shot J.R.?" remains the second highest-rated TV episode in the history of the medium, with an estimated 350 million fans worldwide glued to their television sets.
After the original series ended, Hagman went on to reprise his role in two telefilms, Dallas: J.R. Returns and Dallas: War of the Ewings, which he executive produced. Additionally, in 1985, while starring on Dallas, since Hagman's name had become synonymous with Texas, it was fitting that he host a documentary on the history of Texas: Lone Star, an eight-part series for PBS, celebrated the 150th anniversary of Texas as an independent republic.
On August 23, 1995, Hagman received a liver transplant that took 16 hours and saved his life. After the surgery and feeling better than he had in years, Hagman worked on several projects one after the next. The first was the four-hour miniseries The Third Twin, based on Ken Follett's best-selling novel. He also portrayed the recurring role of Judge Luther Charbonnet on the television series Orleans.
Hagman also starred in Mike Nichols' feature film Primary Colors, based on the best-selling book by Anonymous -- later acknowledged as journalist Joe Klein -- which starred John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates and Adrian Lester, among others. Hagman played Governor Picker, an anti-politics politician who posed a serious threat to Governor Stanton's (John Travolta) bid for office. Another presidential film Hagman appeared in was Oliver Stone's Nixon, along with Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Ed Harris and Bob Hoskins and others. With the rest of the ensemble, Hagman was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast.
Hagman appeared in several recurring roles in popular TV series over the last few years. He guest-starred in the acclaimed series Nip/Tuck in the recurring role of Burt Landau, a business executive who desires cosmetic surgery of an intimate nature; voiced a character in an episode of The Simpsons; and, just last year, had an arc on the hit series Desperate Housewives.
Hagman was actively involved in numerous civic and philanthropic activities. An adamant nonsmoker, Hagman was chairperson of the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout" from 1981 to 1992. He even has an instructional home video, Larry Hagman: Stop Smoking for Life, with proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society. Hagman also served as the National Spokesperson for the 1996 U.S. Transplant Games presented by the National Kidney Foundation, receiving the foundation's Public Service Award for his efforts in heightening public awareness of the importance of organ donation.
Hagman, who passed away in November, enjoyed spending time with his family more than anything. He and his wife, Maj, lived on a ranch in Ojai, Calif., but also divided their time between Santa Monica, California, and a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to his love for motorcycles, Hagman also enjoyed fishing, traveling and collecting hats and flags.
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