‘Dallas’ Cast Gather For 45-Year Reunion & Spill On Iconic Moments Like 'Who Shot J.R.?' Cliffhanger And Tossing Brad Pitt In A Pool

Jul 10, 2023

"Dallas" is renowned for breaking the stereotypes in American TV shows. For one, it had a recurring theme where people could watch each character grow even though they were all flawed. The series started in 1978 and was intended to be a miniseries, but its surprising popularity caused it to be extended beyond the initial five episodes. The series ran for 357 episodes and ended in May 1991 after 14 seasons. 

"Dallas" revolved around the lives of the wealthy but largely antagonistic family, the Ewings, who had a cattle ranch and an oil company called Ewing Oil. Season 1 of the series focused on the feud between the Ewings and their sworn enemies, the Barneses. 

The series later advanced to focus on the dishonest and treacherous elder son of the Ewing family, JR Ewing, whose ruthlessness eventually became the show’s hallmark. "Dallas" won four Emmys and turned its cast members into stars. 

The cast of the epochal show includes Jim Davis, Barbara Bel Geddes, Larry Hagman, Victoria Principal, Patrick Duffy, Charlene Tilton, Linda Gray, Steve Kanaly, Audrey Landers, Joan Van Ark, Sheree Wilson and Cathy Powell. The series also had a spin-off — “Knots Landing,” which ran from 1979 to 1993 — and a revival series that lasted for three seasons starting in 2012.

On July 4, 2023, some of the cast members gathered ahead of the 45th anniversary of "Dallas" at Oscar's in Palm Springs, California. There they talked about some of their best mementos from the show and their memories of Hagman. Continue reading to find out what they said. 

Many of the original "Dallas" cast continued acting after their time on the TV show. Meanwhile, Bel Geddes, who played the matriarch of the Ewing family and won an Emmy for Best Outstanding Actress, retired from acting after the show ended. 

Before his death, Hagman worked on other small and big screen projects, but his role in "Dallas" remained at the forefront of his acting career before he died in 2012 due to complications from cancer. Hagman appeared in "Orleans," “Fail-Safe,” “The Eagle Has Landed,” “Getting Away from It All” and “Intimate Strangers.” He also reprised his role in the “Dallas” 2012 reboot. 

Gray won two Golden Globe Awards for her role in "Dallas" and was nominated for an Emmy award. The actress worked with Sylvester Stallone on “Oscar” in 1991 and also starred in "Models Inc.," "Moment of Truth: Why My Daughter?" and "Accidental Meeting," and worked on Broadway as well. Gray also reprised her role in the 2012 reboot of "Dallas."

Since the original "Dallas" ended, Duffy has starred in many roles, including  "Step by Step," which ran from 1991 to 1998. He was also featured in "The Bold and the Beautiful," "You Again," "Dallas" (2012) and "Lady of the Manor." 

Tilton was cast as J.R.'s niece, Lucy Ewing, in “Dallas.” Lucy resented J.R. for pushing her parents out of the family home. Following her casting in "Dallas," Tilton appeared in one episode of the series spin-off, "Knots Landing" and has starred or appeared in several on-screen projects like "The Fall of the House of Usher," "Fantasy Island," "The Love Boat," "Border Shootout" and "Problem Child 2."

On Tuesday, July 4, 2023, six of the "Dallas" cast: Landers, Tilton, Van Ark, Gray, Duffy and Kanaly, reunited ahead of its 45th anniversary at Oscar's, Palm Springs, California. There, they reminisced about several heartwarming and iconic moments while shooting the long-running series, including throwing a 25-year-old unknown Brad Pitt in the pool. 

The group also remembered the late Hagman, who they said was the bond that held the group together. Duffy said of the late actor: "Well, we're here because of Hagman. That's what he meant to the show."

"He kept everyone together, everyone happy, everybody engaged," Gray disclosed. Duffy added: "And because of his popularity, all of our boats rose with the tide, you know, and we got to ride with him. So, we miss him a lot."

The cast members further reminisced on the popular "Who Shot J.R.?" scene and the resulting frenzy in Europe over who took the shot. Fans had to wait eight months to know. They revealed that each of them actually shot J.R. as the writers had not yet decided who should take the shot at the end of season 3.

"Everybody took a shot at (J.R.). I mean, I shot J.R. I think Linda shot J.R. Jim Davis shot him," Duffy revealed. 

Audrey Landers added, "And when it came out in the United States, I was recording in Europe, and they were a year behind in the episodes, and they kept asking me because there was no social media." Kanaly shared: "Yeah, and they were taking bets on it in Vegas and Europe. People would call me and say, 'You got to tell me because I got to put a lot of money on this.' I didn't know."

Did you watch "Dallas"? Have you followed any of the cast since their time on the series? Should there be more revival series for the characters? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family members and fans of "Dallas."