The Original Cast of 'Dallas': Where Are They Now?
It's Been 45 Year's Since Dallas First Hit Airwaves. Like Its Generation-Spanning Fanbase, the Show's Cast Continues to Look Back Fondly on the Cbs Soap Opera...
It's been 45 years since Dallas first hit airwaves.
Like its generation-spanning fanbase, the show's cast continues to look back fondly on the CBS soap opera. In anticipation of the milestone anniversary, several of the stars reunited in Palm Springs to celebrate with PEOPLE, reminiscing on Dallas' impact and remembering late costars such as Larry Hagman.
Linda Gray, who played Sue Ellen Ewing, remembered how the show filled viewers' needs "to have a recurring story, suspense and something to look forward to." Patrick Duffy compared the show to the hits of today, like Succession and Yellowstone: "It all started with us," the actor behind Bobby Ewing told PEOPLE.
See what the stars of the headline-making show have been up to since Dallas changed TV upon its premiere in 1978.
Larry Hagman
While Larry Hagman did pursue other acting opportunities after the original Dallas series wrapped, his leading role as J.R. Ewing remained at the forefront of his career until he died at age 81. Hagman reprised the breakout character in the 90s TV movies J.R. Returns and War of the Ewings and again in 2011, when TNT rebooted the series.
Hagman announced that he’d been diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer in 2011, over 15 years after he’d undergone a liver transplant. Hagman died in 2012 due to complications from his cancer, though his legacy lives on through his costars and friends.
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Ken Kercheval
After getting his start on Broadway, Ken Kercheval moved over to TV with cameos and soap opera roles in the mid-60s. He made it big on the small screen when he starred on Dallas as Cliff Barnes, the rival of J.R. Ewing. Kercheval and Hagman were the only two actors who remained cast members throughout Dallas' original 13-season run. He also appeared as Cliff in all three seasons of the 2012 reboot.
Before his death in 2019, Kercheval made appearances in several TV movies throughout the 1990s and returned to theater in the mid-aughts. He played The General in U.K. productions of White Christmas from 2006 through 2011.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
