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|caption = Larry Hagman attending the "Night of 100 Stars" for the [[82nd Academy Awards]] viewing party at the [[Beverly Hills Hotel]], Beverly Hills, California on March 7, 2010
|caption = Larry Hagman attending the "Night of 100 Stars" for the [[82nd Academy Awards]] viewing party at the [[Beverly Hills Hotel]], Beverly Hills, California on March 7, 2010
|birth_name = Larry David Hagman
|birth_name = Larry Martin Hagman
|birth_date = {{birth date|1931|9|21|mf=yes}}
|birth_date = {{birth date|1931|9|21|mf=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Fort Worth, Texas]], U.S.
|birth_place = [[Fort Worth, Texas]], U.S.

Revision as of 02:05, 26 November 2012

Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman attending the "Night of 100 Stars" for the 82nd Academy Awards viewing party at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, California on March 7, 2010
Born
Larry Martin Hagman

(1931-09-21)September 21, 1931
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
DiedNovember 23, 2012(2012-11-23) (aged 81)
North Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, director, producer
Years active1950–2012
Known forI Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970)
Dallas (1978–1991)
Dallas (2012)
Spouse(s)Maj Axelsson
(m. 1954–2012, his death); 2 children
ChildrenHeidi Kristina Hagman (b. 1958)
Preston Hagman (b. 1962)
Parent(s)Benjamin Hagman
Mary Martin
Websitewww.larryhagman.com

Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012)[1] was an American film and television actor best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas, and befuddled astronaut Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.

He had supporting roles in numerous films including Fail-Safe, Nixon, and Primary Colors. His television appearances also included guest roles on dozens of shows spanning from the late 1950s up until his death, and a reprisal of his signature role on the 2012 revival of Dallas. He also occasionally worked as a producer and director on television. Hagman was the son of actress Mary Martin. He underwent a life-saving liver transplant in 1995. Although Hagman was a member of a 12-step program, he publicly advocated marijuana as a better alternative to alcohol. He died on November 23, 2012, from complications of throat cancer.

Early life

Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas.[2] His mother, Mary Martin, was 17 at the time of his birth[3] and later became a Broadway actress and musical comedy star; his father, Benjamin Jack Hagman, was a lawyer, accountant, and district attorney,[4][5][6] who was of Swedish descent.[7][8] Hagman's parents divorced in 1936, when he was five years old. He lived with his grandmother in Texas and California while his mother became a contract player with Paramount in 1938.

In 1940, his mother met and married Richard Halliday and gave birth to a daughter, Heller, the following year.[9] Hagman attended the strict Black-Foxe Military Institute (now closed). When his mother moved to New York City to resume her Broadway career, Hagman again lived with his grandmother in California.[10] A couple of years later, his grandmother died and Hagman joined his mother in New York.

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 received 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.[citation needed] Hagman graduated from high school in 1949, when his mother suggested that he try acting as a profession.[citation needed]

Career beginnings

Hagman began his career in Dallas as a production assistant and acting in small roles in Margo Jones' theater company 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.[citation needed] Stationed in London, he spent the majority of his military service entertaining U.S. troops in the UK and at bases in Europe. After leaving the Air Force in 1956, Hagman returned to New York City where he appeared in the Off-Broadway play Once Around the Block, by William Saroyan. That was followed by nearly a year in another Off-Broadway play, James Lee's Career. His 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. [citation needed]

During this period, Hagman also appeared in numerous, mostly live, television programs. Aged 25, Hagman made his television debut on an episode of Decoy. In 1958, he joined Barbara Bain as a guest star in the short-lived adventure and drama series Harbormaster. Hagman joined the cast of daytime soap opera 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 a young Jack Nicholson. That same year, Hagman also appeared in Fail-Safe with Henry Fonda.

I Dream of Jeannie

When Tony wishes he were back in the Old West, Jeannie makes him the sheriff of a small Western town.

After years of guest-starring in television series, Hagman's profile was raised when he was cast as "genie" Barbara Eden's television "master" and eventual love interest, Air Force Captain (later Major) Anthony Nelson in the NBC sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, which ran for five seasons from 1965.[11] The show entered the Top 30 in its first year and was NBC's answer to the successful 1960s magical comedies, Bewitched on ABC and My Favorite Martian on CBS. The show ended in 1970. Two reunion movies were later made, both televised on NBC: I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later (1985) and I Still Dream of Jeannie (1991), but Hagman did not appear in either of them. He felt five years on the original show was enough, and it was time to do serious dramatic work.

In November 1999, after 29 years, Hagman agreed to reunite with Jeannie co-stars Barbara Eden 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 an 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 surviving stars from I Dream of Jeannie to the first cast reunion at The Chiller Expo Show. [citation needed]

Hagman and Eden reunited 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 performers had acted together since Eden appeared with Hagman in a five-episode arc on Dallas in 1990. [citation needed]

Dallas

In 1977, Hagman was offered two roles on two television series that were debuting. One was for The Waverly Wonders and the other for Dallas, in the role of conniving elder son and businessman J. R. Ewing, a man whom everybody loved to hate. When Hagman read the Dallas script at his wife's suggestion,[12] they both concluded it was perfect for him. Seen in over 90 countries, the show became a worldwide success, inspiring several prime-time soaps. Hagman became one of the best known television stars of the era. Producers were keen to capitalize on that love/hate family relationship of J.R.'s, building anticipation to a fever-pitch in the 1980 cliffhanger season finale in which J.R. is shot by an unknown assailant.[13]

At the beginning of the third full season[14] later that year, audience and actors were trying to guess "Who shot J.R.?", now one of fictional TV's most famous questions to have ever been asked. During the media buildup, Hagman was involved in contract negotiations, delaying his return in the fourth season. Holding out for a higher salary, Hagman did not appear in the first episode of the show until the final few minutes. Producers were faced with a dilemma whether to pay the greatly increased salary or to write J.R. out of the program. Lorimar Productions, the makers of the series, began shooting different scenes of Dallas which did not include Hagman. In the midst of negotiations, Hagman took his family to London for their July vacation.[15] He continued to fight for his demands and network executives conceded that they wanted J.R. to remain on Dallas. From then on, Hagman became one of the highest-paid stars in television. At the beginning of the 1980–81 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 three weeks until the culprit was revealed on November 21, 1980 in a ratings record-breaking episode.

For his performance as J.R. Ewing, Hagman was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1980 and 1981, but did not win. He was also nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, between 1981 and 1985. 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 rejected the suggestion and Bel Geddes was briefly replaced by Donna Reed for the 1984–1985 season. By the end of its thirteenth season in 1991, ratings had slipped to the extent that CBS decided to end Dallas. Hagman was the only actor to appear in all 357 episodes. He had also made five guest appearances on the Dallas spin-off series Knots Landing in the early 1980s. Some years after Dallas ended, Hagman appeared in two subsequent Dallas television movies: J.R. Returns in 1996, and War of the Ewings in 1998.

Hagman reprised his role as J.R. Ewing in TNT's continuation of Dallas, which began in 2012.[16][17] In 2011, while filming the new series, Hagman said, "Of course it's fun to play the villain."[18]

Other work

Hagman starred in two short-lived series in the 1970s, Here We Go Again and The Good Life. He appeared in various television films, including Getting Away from It All, Sidekicks, The Return Of The World's Greatest Detective, Intimate Strangers, and Checkered Flag or Crash.

He appeared in several feature films, including 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, also called Son Of Blob,[citation needed] a sequel to the classic 1958 horror film The Blob. In 1980, Hagman recorded a single called Ballad Of The Good Luck Charm.[19][20]

During the 1980s, Hagman was featured in a national televised Schlitz beer campaign, playing on – but not explicitly featuring – the J.R. character from Dallas. Hagman wore the same kind of western business outfit – complete with cowboy hat – that he wore in his role. The end of each 30-second spot featured a male voice-over 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 BVD brand underwear.

In January 1997, Hagman starred in a short-lived television series titled Orleans as Judge Luther Charbonnet, which lasted only eight episodes. By this time, Hagman had ceased wearing his toupée.[citation needed]

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 seventh Season of Desperate Housewives as a new husband for Lynette Scavo's mother, Stella (played by Polly Bergen).

In 2010, Hagman was 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.[21]

Personal life

In 1973, stepfather Richard Halliday died, and Hagman reconciled with his mother, Mary Martin, soon after. The two became close until her death from colon cancer in 1990.

In 1954, Hagman married Swedish-born Maj Axelsson[10] and they had two children, Heidi Kristina (b. 1958) and Preston (b. 1962). Longtime residents of Malibu, California, they then moved to Ojai, California. Hagman was a member of the Peace and Freedom Party since the 1960s.[22] Hagman derided President George W. Bush, a fellow Texan, before the Iraq War. At a signing for his book he described Bush as "A sad figure, not too well educated, who doesn't get out of America much. He's leading the country towards fascism".[23]

In 1969, Hagman's friend, musician David Crosby, supplied Hagman with LSD after a concert:[24] "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."[25] Hagman was introduced to marijuana by Jack Nicholson, as a safer alternative to Hagman's heavy drinking. "I liked it because it was fun, it made me feel good, and I never had a hangover."[26]

In June 1982, Hagman crowned Anna-Kari Bergstrom as Miss Sweden in Stockholm. She in turn gave him a "Lapphatt", the traditional hat worn in Lapland – the part of northern Sweden that she was from.[27][28]

Hagman in August 2011

In August 1995, Hagman underwent a life-saving liver transplant after he was diagnosed with liver cancer in July. He was also a heavy smoker as a young man, but the cancer diagnosis was the catalyst for him to quit. He was so shaken by this incident that he immediately became strongly anti-smoking. He recorded several public service announcements pleading with smokers to quit and urging non-smokers never to start. He 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.[29]

In 2001, Hagman wrote his autobiography, entitled Hello Darlin': Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales About My Life.[29]

In a 2007 interview, Hagman discussed his support for alternative energy.[30] On an episode of Living With Ed, Hagman and his wife showed actor Ed Begley, Jr. their solar powered, super energy efficient home and talked about their green lifestyle. In early 2010, the couple put their 43-acre Ojai estate (called "Heaven", which they purchased in 1991) up for sale; it was valued at $9.5 million.[31]

Hagman appeared at the Dublin races in 2008 with his wife. That same year, Maj Hagman was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.[32] In June 2011, Hagman said he had stage 2 throat cancer.[33] 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."[34]

Death

Hagman died on November 23, 2012, at Medical City Dallas Hospital in Dallas following complications from throat cancer. In a statement to the Dallas Morning News, Hagman's family said "Larry's family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for."[3][18] The New York Times described him as "one of television's most beloved villains".[35]

Linda Gray, who plays Sue Ellen Ewing on Dallas, called Hagman her "best friend for 35 years" and was at his bedside when he died, her agent told the BBC. In a statement, she said: "He was the Pied Piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented and I will miss him enormously. He was an original and lived life to the fullest."[36]

Filmography

Bibliography

  • Harry Hurt III, "Larry Hagman's Curtain Call", Texas Monthly, Austin, Texas, June, 2012. pp. 144–145, 195–199, 201–202.

References

  1. ^ Born Larry Martin Hagman, not Hageman, as per [htp://www.ancestry.com Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997
    [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA
    Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
    Original data: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997. Texas: Texas Department of State Health Services. Microfiche.
  2. ^ "Actor Larry Hagman dies at Dallas hospital". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 23, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Peppard, Alan (23 November 2012). "Actor Larry Hagman, notorious as 'Dallas' villain J.R. Ewing, dies". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  4. ^ "Ancestry of Larry Hagman". Genealogy.com. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  5. ^ "A city comes out: how celebrities made Palm Springs a gay and lesbian paradise". Books.google.ca. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  6. ^ "Larry Hagman's Southern Roots". Genealogymagazine.com. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  7. ^ Martin, Mary (1976). My Heart Belongs. Morrow. ISBN 0688030092. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  8. ^ "Star mothers: the moms behind the celebrities". Books.google.ca. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  9. ^ http://www.vitalsearch-ca.com/ Retrieved 2012-07-22
  10. ^ a b Texas Monthly 195
  11. ^ Larry Hagman, the man behind iconic villain J.R. Ewing, dies
  12. ^ Texas Monthly196
  13. ^ Richard Corliss "The 'Dallas' Shot That Was Heard Round the World : Television: Three hundred million viewers found out 'Who Shot J.R.?' 10 years ago this week on the soap opera that embodied the '80s", Los Angeles Times, 23 November 1990
  14. ^ The first season of Dallas was, in effect, a mini-series tryout of Dallas.
  15. ^ Texas Monthly197
  16. ^ "Hagman Signs Dallas Remake Deal". Contactmusic.com. 2011-02-02. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  17. ^ "Dallas". Tnt.tv. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  18. ^ a b Memmott, Carol (November 24, 2012). "Larry Hagman dead at 81". USA Today. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  19. ^ larryhagman.com: Ballad Of The Good Luck Charm
  20. ^ Discogs: Ballad Of The Good Luck Charm
  21. ^ Woody, Todd (2010-07-13). "Is That J.R. Ewing Pushing Solar Energy?". The New York Times.
  22. ^ Massey, David (1980-11-21). "Official Dallas website-Larry Hagman biography". Ultimatedallas.com. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  23. ^ "'J.R. Ewing' slams Bush as 'sad figure'". Worldnetdaily.com. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  24. ^ Rush, George (2001-10-18). "J.R.'S Acid Trip Down Memory Lane". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  25. ^ "Interview with Larry Hagman: Star of Dallas and I Dream of Jeannie". Maps.org. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  26. ^ Texas Monthly 196
  27. ^ "Actor Larry Hagman crowned with a Laplander's hat". The Milwaukee Sentinel. AP. June 2, 1982. p. 2. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  28. ^ "Lapp Hat". Indiana Gazette. AP. June 2, 1982. p. 26. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  29. ^ a b Hello Darlin' Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales About My Life (1st ed.). Simon & Schuster. November 6, 2001. ISBN 0743221818. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  30. ^ "TV's 'J.R.' goes green - MSNBC Video". Video.msn.com. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  31. ^ Vecsey, Laura (2011-05-13). "Larry Hagman's 'Dallas' Memorabilia Being Auctioned from Ojai Ranch". Zillow.com. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  32. ^ Texas Monthly 201
  33. ^ Texas Monthly 145
  34. ^ "'Dallas' Star Larry Hagman Announces He Has Cancer: "Very Common & Treatable Form"". OK. October 14, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2011.[dead link]
  35. ^ Nemy, Enid (25 November 2012). "Larry Hagman, Who Played J.R. Ewing in 'Dallas,' Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 November 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ Batty, David (November 24, 2012). "Larry Hagman, Dallas' JR Ewing, dies aged 81". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
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