The actor Larry Hagman, known as JR Ewing on the series Dallas, has died.
Hagman died yesterday at the age of 81, according to a statement from the family.
He died at a Dallas hospital of complications from cancer, noted a statement posted on Hagman’s official website earlier today.
“Larry was back in his beloved Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved most,” it said.
Larry’s family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Hagman shot to television superstardom in 1978 with the role of J.R. Ewing, the scheming Texas oil tycoon, in the prime-time soap opera “Dallas.” He was the villain viewers loved to hate.
In 1980, the show became a mega-hit with the “Who Shot J.R.?” plot line that left Americans guessing who pulled the trigger.
The answer came on November 21, 1980, in an episode dubbed “Who Done It?.”
More than 350 million viewers tuned in around the world to find out Kristen Shepherd, the sister of J.R.’s wife, shot him. It remains one of the most watched television episodes in history.
