The wonderful Larry Hagman answered your questions in this Ultimate Dallas exclusive interview.

Our Ultimate Dallas Interviewer asked Mr. Hagman all your fantastic questions sent into UltimateDallas.Com.

 

Mrs Jock in USA asks Larry Hagman, do you think the show would have been as successful if JR had not been shot?

Larry Hagman - I was shot when I think it was number one. That was the catalyst for the interest in the show. Certainly it went on for a long time after that but that's what really kicked it off. Of course a lot of people watched it just because of the novelty of the situation.

Russ DAngelo in Long Island asks I have been a "Dallas' fan for over 20 years. Who is your favorite mistress that JR was involved with?

Larry Hagman - Holly Harwood was my favorite, she was so beautiful. There was another girl, she was gorgeous, Mandy Winger, she was such a good mistress, so nice to me and such a nice girl. Deborah Sheldon, a gorgeous girl and really nice too.

Jessica in Washington asks Do you have a favorite lines?

Larry Hagman - Once you get rid of integrity the rest is a piece of cake

Clifford in Canada - I absolutely loved your book. I know there were some negative comments thrown at the show by Donna Reed and Dack Rambo. Were you upset by their comments or is all part of the acting world?

Larry Hagman - I really loved Donna, she was a wonderful woman, what happened with her was that she got off a plane in Paris during our hiatus and a journalist ran up to her and said 'What does it feel like being fired from Dallas?' , and that was the first time she had been aware of that. Which I thought was kind of awful, you would of thought, call her agent, maybe they did and the agent didn't get a hold of her. You know Hollywood is a weird and wonderful place, I didn't know I Dream of Jeanie had been cancelled after 5 years until I went back to go on the lot to pick up some clothes and things I had in my dressing room and the guy asked me who I was and I said 'Bill this is Larry Hagman Hagman' , "Well I'm sorry Mr Hagman there is no pass down here for you", and I said "Really why?" and he said "You know your shows been cancelled". That's the first time I knew about it too, this is a weird and wonderful town. So I don't know what she said about me to tell you the truth, I don't know if it was her herself or her husband, or her agent. You never know about these things some things are printed maliciously in a magazine like the Star or the National Enquirer, one of those things. It's just superstition and they just want to sell some papers. That quote may have come from something like that, that often happens. I don;t think much of it, there's nothing much you can do about it anyhow. I loved her, I thought she was a wonderful girl and as far as Dack was concerned I didn't even know he was gay for gods sake, I mean I'm pretty naive about some things. It never occurred to me he was gay.

Larry Hagman - Do write exactly what I say? Do you edit this?

Interviewer - It depends, we normally write it up as it is

Larry Hagman - So if I say fuck or anything like that do you take it out?

Interviewer - No we leave it in (laughs)

Larry Hagman - ok, fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, get that out of my system

Interviewer - (Laughs a lot) Ok next question.

Dang from San Fran asks Hi Larry Hagman - How was your relationship with Victoria Principal on the set? Were you sad to see her depart the show at the end of season 9? I personally thought her leaving was a big lost to the show.

Larry Hagman - I loved her , when she first came to the show she didn't have that much experience you know and a television show is like every day and she learned fast and she was very good and I thought she come a long way. She was much more of an equipped actress when she left show from when she got on there, she was a nice girl. I was sad to see anybody leave, we had a very nice family on that show. I was very sad to see momma go , Victoria and especially Linda. My god that was my wife on the show, in fact my wife calls her wife.

Interviewer - Why did Linda leave?

Larry Hagman - I think she had enough of the drunkenness, they wanted her to go back to being a basket case. I think she felt that our producer Leonard Katzman had some sort of vendetta against her or something, gave her shitty parts and so fourth. She had fought very hard to get a more positive part and she did. I was sorry to see her go and I begged her not to go, on bended knees, literally on bended knees, both knees on the ground - "Please don't leave the show, you are fun to work with, you're my wife". What the fuck - over

Don Wotal in Bessemer, Michigan asks On a recent tv special about Larry Hagman's liver troubles he talked quite candidly about how after his liver transplant it was more difficult for him to quit smoking marijuana than it was to quit drinking. Is this true? Did you smoke marijuana on the set too?

Larry Hagman - No No I never said, I said it was difficult to stop smoking tobacco. Marijuana you can give up, Iv given it up for fifteen years now and it never occurs to me to smoke it anymore. But there is no withdrawal, but with tobacco there is terrible withdrawal, it is almost impossible for a lot of people. I did , I went cold turkey, they never had any patches in those days but grass was not difficult, alcohol not difficult, but tobacco - oh my god. You couldn't smoke grass on the set of Dallas, I didn't want to do that, I was perfectly satisfied with my champagne.

Carolyn Jankowski in Elizabeth, NJ asks - Dear Mr. Hagman: Words cannot express my admiration for your tremendous acting ability.

Larry Hagman - Woo hoo, keep talking honey

Carolyn - Would you mind letting us in on the acting tips you received from your legendary mother, Miss Mary Martin? Best wishes for good health to you and your family.

Larry Hagman - Its all in the book. She said "Know your lines, hang up your clothes and be reasonably sober"

Pauline in Glasgow, Scotland asks Was there ever a possibility of your mother, the great Mary Martin playing the role of Miss Ellie?

Larry Hagman - There was discussion of it at one time when Barbara left the first time and I thought it would be a good idea but I don't think mother didn't want to do that just because for one thing her memory was failing her somewhat. It was a taxing role to be the queen mother of that whole situation.

Interviewer - What was it like working with Barbara Bel Geddes?

Larry Hagman - That's the reason I took the show, they said Barbara Bel Geddes is going to play your mother, and I said "well that's a touch of class you know", so of course I wanted to work with her. She was the first girl to say 'pregnant' in American theatre and the show was banned in Boston. It was not allowed to perform because she said 'pregnant' and that was in the 50's for god sake and now you can say anything you want"

Interviewer - Are you still in touch with her?

Larry Hagman - No she's a real recluse that girl and its really hard to get hold of her.

SarahB in Ireland asks I met you in Ireland on your book promotion and it was one of the happiest days of my life.

Larry Hagman - Oh (seemed pleased to hear that)

SarahB - You must have met a lot of people in show business over the years - which meeting has been the biggest thrill for you? Many thanks and lots of love.

Larry Hagman - Vivian Leigh, that was very exciting. To be dancing on the opening night of South Pacific at the Savoy in London with Vivian Leigh was a big deal. She was Scarlet O'Hara can you imagine? I danced with Scarlet O'Hara

James Ewing in Hackensack NJ asks - Why do you think CBS was reluctant to continue the saga of Dallas with the young cast members ? It seemed JR Returns was a setup for just that. Then War of the Ewings came & they were no where in sight.The original cast members could be used during sweeps & Larry Hagman & Patrick could Produce & Direct.

Larry Hagman - I guess they felt the bloom was off the rose. I think they could of recast the children, I heard of people wanting to do something like that. That would be a nice little show to do but you know that show as of the 80's, I don't think the audience mind set is not in that direction any longer.

Interviewer - But if you look at the mini series that really stands its ground and could work today and could be considering ground breaking such as shows like Six Feet Under

Larry Hagman - Six Feet Under is a whole different league, that show is so much more far advanced than Dallas ever was. Its so kind of real , starch reality, dead bodies, a business dealing with death, its pretty bizarre stuff. I think its brilliant

Interviewer - Many people would say that Dallas was groundbreaking in the same way.

Larry Hagman - I guess it was but I think peoples morality has changed. It's gotten more liberal and more diverse and even in a sense much more fundamental, you take the fundamental religious right in this country its got to go back about 50 years.

Judy Clark from Delray Bch. Fl asks Have always been an outrageous fan of yours, since the days of Jeanie. Would love to see you round up the Dallas stars, and do another reunion movie. Any possibilities? What could I do to push it along?

Larry Hagman - I think the bloom is off the rose, I don't think anyone would be interested in doing it, the powers that be, the people that put up the ten million bucks, and that's for my salary. (laughs)

Larry Hagman - How will you write that? Chuckle? Its not an L O L

Interviewer - You could do an L O L, see you do more about the internet than you are saying

Larry Hagman - L O L to me is like (Laughs very loudly) and a chuckle is like (laughs quietly)

Interviewer - (laughs) - see you know L OL which is chat rooms lingo

Larry Hagman - Yes its laugh out loud, so what's a snicker and a chuckle?

Interviewer - (laughs) - Mmmm a smiley face

Larry Hagman - So what's a he he he?

Interviewer - (laughs) - Its he he he

Larry Hagman - I'm not well versed on the verbiage of the internet

Interviewer - Well you are doing very well, not many people know what L O L is.

Larry Hagman - Well I don't do an L O L I do a Ha ha ha

Patrick Capp in Texas asks Throughout the years on Dallas, JR Ewing and Cliff Barnes hated each other's guts. How well did you and Mr. Kercheval (don't know the spelling) get along in real life, away from the Dallas set?

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