'Dallas' TV actor, Larry Hagman dies after battle with throat cancer - Examiner.com

Larry Hagman, well-known Hollywood actor, best known in the role of J.R. Ewing in the 70s prime time TV soap opera show, "Dallas"; has died in a Dallas hospital on Nov. 23. The long-running show began in 1978 and ran until 1991.

Hagman was portrayed on the show as the conniving, ruthless villain and adulterous Texan oil-tycoon which everyone in America – and characters on the show had guessing – "who shot J.R.?"

In fact, everyone in the Dallas show family had a chance to shoot at J.R. during the cliffhanger series.

According to the Daily Beast, unconfirmed reports say Patrick Duffy –who played Bobby Ewing as J.R.'s brother on the show – and Linda Gray, who played J.R. Ewing's wife on-screen, were with Hagman on his final day before he died.

The Hollywood icon's career began his fruitful TV career as "Major Anthony Nelson" – handsome astronaut from NASA who found and led a secret life with a scantily-clad genie in a bottle– with co-star Barbara Eden on the "I Dream of Jeannie" show which ran, 1965-1970.

Hagman had health issues in his personal life – he openly confessed to being a heavy drinker and smoker – and was diagnosed in 1992 with cirrhosis on his liver. In 1995, the actor was diagnosed with liver cancer and had undergone a liver transplant.

During his recovery, he stopped drinking and smoking, he joined Alcoholics Anonymous, wrote a book, switched to vegetarianism and practiced Buddhism.

By 2011, when the new "Dallas" show started production with the actor as J.R. Ewing back into character, Hagman announced he had throat cancer and assured it was very treatable. However, complications from the cancer led to the recently demised actor.

Hagman's wife –to whom he had been married for almost 60 years – Maj Axxelson along with their two children, daughter Heidi Kristina, son Preston and five grandchildren were altogether in Dallas during his final days.

Larry Hagman, a Hollywood legend and TV icon, dead at 81.

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©2012 Sue Robinson/ All rights reserved

Related Content:

Dallas, TV.com website

I Dream Of Jeannie, TVland.com website