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ADDITIONAL CREDI TS ON PAGE 62
Larry Hagman takes off his
cowboy hat during an L.A. photo shoot and
sets it down, brim up. “You always turn it
over, or your luck will run out,” says the
actor, sporting J.R. Ewing’s seductive grin.
Hagman’s luck seems as rich as a barrel
of ;Texas crude. Dallas, which lassoed some
of ;TV’s highest ratings during its 13-year
run (1978–91), could be a gusher again, with
a 10-show season premiering June 13 on
TNT. The reboot pairs original cast members Hagman (conniving J.R.), Patrick Duffy
(his wholesome brother, Bobby), and Linda
Gray (J.R.’s tipsy wife, Sue Ellen) with a new
generation of ;scheming Ewings. Josh Henderson, as J.R.’s son John Ross, and Jesse
Metcalfe, as Bobby’s adopted son, Christopher, rekindle the family feud when ruthless
John Ross challenges the last will and testament of his grandmother Miss Ellie.
“The turd doesn’t fall far from the horse!”
says Duffy, 63, who confesses he misses the
show’s original elders. “The hardest part is
sitting at the head of the table at Southfork,
because Jim [Davis, playing Jock Ewing]
always occupied that place—and the plots
revolved around making Daddy proud.”
At its height, Dallas was the world’s most
popular show: Foreign fans based their view
of the States on Southfork’s decadent dra-
mas, and the Smithsonian Institution dis-
played one of! J.R.’s hats (custom-made, at
$10,000 each). The show’s resilience lies in
its characters, particularly dastardly J.R., a
beguiling blend of Hagman’s dramatic and
comedic chops. “My theory,” says Hagman,
80, “is that everybody has a jerk like J.R. in
the family, and they can identify with that.”
“Let’s be honest,” says Duffy. “The only
reason Dallas is being done now is because
they can get J.!R. back on the air. That char-
acter is as iconic as the ranch itself.”
Linda Gray, 71, attributes the show’s ap-
peal to its frank treatment of social issues.
Sue Ellen’s alcoholic spiral, for example,
occurred “as Betty Ford came out. We were
ahead of what was happening in society.”
The three actors remain close, champion-
ing one another’s work and celebrating the
arrival of grandchildren. When Hagman
underwent cancer treatment recently, Duffy
and Gray sat at his bedside. “I feel great!”
Hagman insists. “My motto is, ‘!Don’t worry,
be happy.’ ” Or as John Ross says at the end of
episode one, “The fun is just beginning.” ;
