 |
| English: Larry Hagman attending the "Night of 100 Stars" for the 82nd Academy Awards viewing party at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA on March 7, 2010 - Photo by Glenn Francis of www.PacificProDigital.com (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
But the character Hagman played on "Dallas", a conniving oil baron named J.R. Ewing who constantly battled for control of the family-owned petroleum business, was worlds away from that astronaut. It made him and the show a worldwide phenomenon.
J.R. was an entertaining villain, a man viewers loved to hate. He double-crossed his business partners, his family, wives and lovers to get to the top. So it was natural that everyone wanted to take a shot at him.
In the spring of 1980 on the final episode of the season, somebody did. All summer long, it seemed the whole world wanted to know "Who Shot J.R.?" On November 21, 1980 before a then-record TV audience, it was revealed that Kristin Shepard (played by Mary Crosby)--another in the long line of J.R.'s spurned lovers--pulled the trigger.
Hagman and J.R. survived the shooting to create more mischief in the Ewing household for the next decade, until CBS canceled "Dallas" in 1991. This past summer, Hagman returned to the role when TNT brought back the show.
Finally, Hagman was brought down by an old foe even J.R. Ewing could not beat--cancer. He was 81.
Most actors are fortunate to have had one career-defining role in their lifetime. But there are very few of them whose role defined an entire genre of television, and so iconic to millions around the world--even if it was for a bad guy. Larry Hagman was that man, and he had J.R. Ewing to thank.
No comments:
Post a Comment