TVSquad Talks To Larry Hagman about TNT's "Dallas"

[JamesG]

Larry Hagman on the New '"Dallas" Series
by Joel Keller
posted Feb 11th 2011


Larry Hagman has spent so long playing bad guys that people forget he became a star while playing a good guy, astronaut Tony Nelson on the 1965–70 TV classic "I Dream of Jeannie".

But once he put on the cowboy hat and became J.R. Ewing, Hagman's reputation for playing bad guys was cemented. He played J.R. on the classic CBS soap "Dallas" for 13 seasons, and he's going to reprise the role on the planned "Dallas" series that will air on TNT.





The series will focus on the children of J.R. and his wife Sue Ellen (Linda Gray, who will also be coming back) and of his brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy, also singed on for the pilot).

So J.R. won't be the dominant person on the show, but Hagman assured me in our conversation yesterday that he'll be causing mischief. "J.R.'s still a mover and a shaker," he said.




With the "Dallas" series on TNT, you're just going to be on the pilot, or are you going to be in more episodes than that?

Oh, I hope I'm in more episodes than that, yeah.

I'm signed on to do more episodes than that. All of them, as a matter of fact.





And it's you, and Patrick Duffy, and Linda Gray?

Uh-huh. And some newcomers...

I don't know if they're newcomers of course, but I think the focus is going to be on the children.





You guys will kind of be the supportive parents and grandparents in the background, I'm guessing?

Well, a little more than that, I'm afraid. A lot more than that.

You know, because J.R.'s still a mover and a shaker.





How did it feel to get back in that role again?

Well, I knew the character, you know. I mean, God knows I know the character. So it's not that difficult.





Is there anything that you can say that you're going to do that would be very classic J.R. on the show?

Yeah, well I hope so. There are a couple of scenes that it comes into evidence. But I don't... no, I'll be old J.R. again. I mean, that's all I know how to do.

I could change it, I suppose, but for what? I think people are expecting to see me in my old role, doing my old stuff.





Has it been as fun as it was the first time around?

Well, I haven't done it yet. [laughs] We'll see!





Will you be doing any other appearances?

Well, I'm going to Europe. I'm going to be working over there. And well, I just kind of hack around.

I'm busy all the time. I know that. Which is good for an 80-year-old man to be.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2011/02/11/la...ves-interview/