Ken Kercheval, J.R. Archrival Cliff Barnes on "Dallas", Dies at 83
by Mike Barnes , Duane Byrge
April 24, 2019


Ken Kercheval, the stage-bred actor who portrayed Cliff Barnes, the oil tycoon who was repeatedly bested by Larry Hagman's J.R. Ewing, on the long-running CBS primetime soap opera "Dallas", has died. He was 83.

A spokeswoman at the Frist Funeral Home in the actor's hometown of Clinton, Indiana, confirmed his death in a brief conversation Wednesday with The Hollywood Reporter but would not divulge any details. His talent agent, Jeff Fisher, also confirmed the news. Messages left for two of Kercheval's children were not immediately returned.

The Daily Clintonian newspaper reported that he died Sunday evening.





In the 1960s, Kercheval appeared in the original Broadway productions of Mike Nichols' The Apple Tree and Harold Prince's Cabaret after distinguishing himself as the young college professor (George Segal's role in the movie) in a national touring production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Kercheval also played one of the unorthodox cops who battles crime in New York City in the Roy Scheider-starring The Seven-Ups (1973) and showed up in other films like Pretty Poison (1968), the adaptation of John Updike's Rabbit Run (1970), Sidney Lumet's Network (1976) and F.I.S.T. (1978).





Kercheval and Hagman were the only two castmembers who were on "Dallas" through its entire 1978-91 original run, from pilot to finale. He appeared on 342 of the Lorimar series' 357 episodes in its first incarnation — and directed a pair of installments as well — before returning as Cliff for a 1996 telefilm and for TNT's 2012-14 reboot.

Kercheval was originally cast as Jock Ewing's illegitimate son Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly eventually played that part) but won the more pivotal role of Cliff Barnes, the brother of Victoria Principal's Pamela Ewing. His character always got trounced and humiliated by J.R. — until the 14th and final season, that is.

"J.R. was coming after my ass all the time, so I always had to defend myself," he said in a 2012 interview. "If I did something that wasn't quite right, it's because I had to."





In a bizarre 1989 incident when the show was in production, a disgruntled former business partner of Kercheval's in a popcorn company crashed the gate at Lorimar Studios in Culver City and set fire to his truck before killing himself with a shotgun.

None of the series' actors were on the lot that day. Police believed the man was out to kidnap Kercheval.





On "Dallas", his glutton-for-punishment Cliff had an affair with J.R.'s wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), during the second season. He later proposed to her, only to be turned down in yet another victory for his nemesis.

"From the very beginning, Cliff would always get defeated by J.R.," he once said. "Finally, I went to [writer-producer] Leonard Katzman and said, 'I'm not sure exactly how to play this, because for this guy to keep coming back again and again, he'd have to have gotten a lobotomy.'"

"I thought as an actor, 'How am I going to have an audience believe that this guy is not some imbecile who keeps coming back, [only] to get whipped? I thought the only way is to add some humor to it, just to say, 'Dust yourself off, get up and start all over again.'"




Kercheval said that "Dallas" viewers over the years often asked him when Cliff was "finally going to get J.R."

His answer, delivered with all sincerity — "This Friday night!" — surely got them to tune in.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ken-kercheval-dead-jr-archrival-cliff-barnes-dallas-was-83-1163963

I've been trying since Sunday to verify this.

:rip: Ken

He was a good actor and made the most of a poor script in the later seasons.

So sad to hear of Ken's passing. :( :( :(

R.I.P. Kenny. Thanks for the great memories. :(

he was a good person we talked a couple times on messanger on facebook he was great on dallas he will surly be missed

Sad to see the entire Dallas cast slowly dying off.

Sad to see the entire Dallas cast slowly dying off.
Reminiscing has never been more enjoyable..https://youtu.be/WXlR4I_BZek

Reminiscing has never been more enjoyable..https://youtu.be/WXlR4I_BZek

When was that filmed?? Must have been around 20 years ago.

I missed the first few seasons so that was the first time I saw many of those scenes.

When was that filmed?? Must have been around 20 years ago.

I missed the first few seasons so that was the first time I saw many of those scenes.
Those were the best years Seasons 1-3 (1978-80)

Those were the best years Seasons 1-3 (1978-80)

Don't think so. I'm sure they were good but the show reached its peak in the early middle years. Like seasons 4 or 5 till 8 or so.

It got pretty bad the last few years.

Don't think so. I'm sure they were good but the show reached its peak in the early middle years. Like seasons 4 or 5 till 8 or so.

It got pretty bad the last few years.
The cut off point for me was the death of the actor Jim Davis. In my opinion the scriptwriters were confounded and the show suffered egregiously thereafter.

The cut off point for me was the death of the actor Jim Davis. In my opinion the scriptwriters were confounded and the show suffered egregiously thereafter.

You're saying Jim Davis was supposed to be there the entire series??

You're saying Jim Davis was supposed to be there the entire series??
I'm saying the writers dawdled in dealing with the character of Jock's death to the point of tediousness, that the replacement in the form of Howard Keel was a huge mistake, then there was the Donna Reed fiasco. It all began to disintegrate and the starting point was the death of the actor Jim Davis.

I'm saying the writers dawdled in dealing with the character of Jock's death to the point of tediousness, that the replacement in the form of Howard Keel was a huge mistake, then there was the Donna Reed fiasco. It all began to disintegrate and the starting point was the death of the actor Jim Davis.

Actually Howard Keel did a great job. I saw a clip back in the 80s about how much the cast loved him & how they all got along.

Dallas was primarily about J.R., Bobby, & Cliff and the women in their lives not Jock. The show was no more about Jock than it was about Digger Barnes.

Actually Howard Keel did a great job. I saw a clip back in the 80s about how much the cast loved him & how they all got along.

Dallas was primarily about J.R., Bobby, & Cliff and the women in their lives not Jock. The show was no more about Jock than it was about Digger Barnes.

This is a misinterpretation: Jock was the patriarch and Jim Davis a first-rate actor. They changed the actor who played Digger Barnes, a loser and a drunkard who took money from Jock as some recompense for selling what was considered at the time his daugher, Pamela. As for the cast I'm sure they were thrilled to keep the farce going, a show which following every new barbecue made them all millionaires.

Rest in peace.