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[selenak]

Like many people growing up in the 80s, I watched my share of Dallas. (And Dynasty.) And was amused and amazed at first the villain was nice Major Tony from I Dream of Jeanie. Teenage me wasn't a J.R. fan (not that I didn't root for some villains at that age, I so did, but the Stetson was too unsexy!), but Larry Hagman and his evil laugh were

Comments

[airie_fairy]

I've never known anything about him, and suddenly you've taught me so much. He sounds like he was pretty great.

[selenak]

And I left out that he was pro solar energy long before it became fashionable. :) But yes.

As for creating an iconic tv villain, here are some of the best clips.

[leviathan0999]

A couple of times over the past few weeks, I got to really enjoy Hagman's performance as loveable and decent Governor Fred Picker in the Mike Nichols film Primary Colors.

And, while I've never been a fan of Dallas, old school or new, i remember vividly Hagman in a guest starring role on The Streets of San Fransisco that probably made Dallas possible. He played a beloved radio DJ and talk-show host who, off the air, was a vicious, snide, evil, cruel man. He was not the criminal of the episode, but was definitely -- and, to an audience who knew Hagman exclusively through I Dream of Jeannie, not just shockingly but stunningly -- the villain. In the episode's tag, he is tricked into speaking as himself on the air, and when he tries to open the phone lines, there's no one there; he's ruined himself and his brand by making his brutal cruelty public.

A terrific actor, and by all accounts a very lovely human being. RIP, Mr. Hagman.

[selenak]

I missed that episode from The Streets of San Francisco, but I can well imagine him in such a role. (Though alas, the writing appears to be idealistic as far as what makes talk show hosts popular goes, given the popularity of Rush Limbaugh et al.) And yes, he was great in Primary Colours!

[andraste_oz]

Wow, thank you for posting this. I've never really thought much about him except for his TV roles, and he sounds like a thoughtful and lovely man. I'm always impressed when people in showbiz have marriages that last.