The late, great Larry Hagman had an extensive filmography, but he's by far best known for playing J.R. Ewing in the primetime soap opera, Dallas (1978-1991), which is responsible for much of his net worth. The actor began his career on stage in summer stock productions. As he made his way to Broadway, Hagman also picked up small television parts. He got his big break when he was cast as Captain Anthony Nelson, Barbara Eden's love interest, in I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970). But it was his role as Dallas' villainous oil baron J.R. Ewing that made him a star.
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Hagman was born in Fort, Worth Texas to district attorney Benjamin Hagman and Mary Martin, who would go on to become a Broadway actress after Hagman's birth. Upon graduating high school in Texas, Hagman followed in his mother's footsteps and pursued acting. He enrolled in Bard College where he majored in drama and dance, though he dropped out after one year. He married the Swedish-born Maj Axelsson in 1954 and together they had two children, daughter Heidi (b. 1958) and son Preston (b. 1962). Hagman passed away in 2012 due to complications from acute myeloid leukemia.
Larry Hagman's Net Worth
The Dallas Actor Was Worth $30 Million At The Time Of His Death
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Larry Hagman was worth a total of $30 million at the time of his 2012 passing (via Celebrity Net Worth). While his tenure on I Dream of Jeannie and roles in films like Fail Safe, Nixon, and Primary Colors likely contributed to his net worth, Hagman made most of his fortune from his celebrated work in the cast of Dallas, appearing in all 357 of the show's episodes.
Hagman is much less affluent than his famous Dallas characters, as Forbes estimates that J.R. Ewing is worth a whopping $2.8 billion.
Hagman was making about $15,000 per episode in the show's early seasons (about $50,000 in today's economy), which was considered a hefty TV salary at the time. However, the nighttime soap exploded in popularity following the season 3 "Who shot J.R.?" Dallas cliffhanger. Realizing his character had made television history, Hagman demanded his agents negotiate with the network for a higher salary, a whopping $100,00 per episode, which was unheard of at the time. The network pushed back, and even threatened to write Hagman off the show and replace him with another actor.
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However, they ultimately gave in, and Hagman got his $100,000 salary. By the end of Dallas' run, Hagman was making $250,000 per episode, making him one of the highest-paid television actors at the time. Hagman's contract negotations made him a pioneer of his time, and likely encouraged the casts of popular shows like Seinfeld and Friends to negotiate for higher salaries many years later.
Larry Hagman's Age & Height
Hagman Is A Virgo
Larry Hagman was born on September 21, 1931, and he was 81 years old at the time of his passing. Mid-September birthdays fall under the Virgo zodiac sign, an Earth sign represented by the maiden. Virgos are known to be kind and supportive, the exact opposite of Hagman's most famous character, the dastardly J.R. Ewing.
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However, a Virgo playing such a villain so effectively only further speaks to Hagman's acting abilities. However, like J.R., Virgos also have a rigorous approach to their goals, and the oil baron certainly never let anyone stand in his way. At 6'1", Hagman was quite tall, which added to his intimidating screen presence in Dallas.
Larry Hagman Turned Down The Lead In The Waverly Wonders To Star In Dallas
Retired Football Player Joe Namath Was Cast In The Waverly Wonders Instead
Eight years after I Dream of Jeannie ended, Larry Hagman was still working steadily, though was worried his career had peaked. But that all changed in 1978 when two television pilot scripts came his way: Dallas and The Waverly Wonders. According to Texas Monthly, Hagman and his wife, Maj Axelsson each took a script to read, he The Waverly Wonders and she Dallas. It only took a few pages into the Dallas pilot for Axelsson to to announce, "Larry, this is it! We've found it!"
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Television history sure would have been different had Hagman picked The Waverly Wonders, a sitcom about a high school basketball coach named Joe Casey, whom Hagman would have played. After Hagman made his choice, The Waverly Wonders cast retired NFL quarterback Joe Namath instead. The Waverly Wonders tanked in the ratings, with only three of the show's nine episodes making it to air. Meanwhile, Dallas was a ratings juggernaut, largely thanks to Larry Hagman's performance. He even want on to reprise his role as J.R. in the Dallas revival (2012-2014), his last credit before his death.
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Dallas
Drama
One of the most popular soap opera series of all time, Dallas aired in 1978 as a part of CBS' line up and follows the wealthy oil baron family, the Ewings, as those from within and close to them plot and scheme their way to the top of the social ladder. The series ran for fourteen seasons before it concluded in 1991.
- Cast
- Larry Hagman , Patrick Duffy , Ken Kercheval , Steve Kanaly , Linda Gray , Barbara Bel Geddes , Victoria Principal , Charlene Tilton
- Release Date
- April 2, 1978
- Seasons
- 14
- Network
- CBS
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