The Cast of ‘Dallas’ Reunites to Celebrate Show’s 45th Anniversary

Lauren Novak June 14, 2023

DALLAS, Victoria Principal, Patrick Duffy, Jim Davis, Linda Gray, Larry Hagman, Charlene Tilton, Barbara Bel Geddes, 1978-1991 — Everett Collection

Dallas followed the Ewing family and their massive oil empire. The soapy television show captured an audience for 14 seasons and led to several spin-offs including Knots Landing and Secrets of Midland Heights. Just recently, several of the iconic stars of Dallas reunited including Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Charlene Tilton, Audrey Landers, Steve Kanaly, Joan Van Ark, Sheree Wilson, Cathy Podewell, and director Michael Preece. The reunion celebrated the 45th anniversary of the show’s debut.

When asked about the show’s legacy which led to its reboot in 2012, Gray shared, “I think that ‘Dallas’ was like daytime soaps that were very popular and ‘Dallas’ came into play and it was gigantic and it filled that same need that people love to have a recurring story, suspense and something to look forward to.”

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“Because the show ran for so many years, the audience got to know the characters so genuinely and they really cared for [them] and the characters all went through so much,” Gray added. “And I think the fans really loved to relate to the stories that were bigger than life. I think that they were definitely bigger than life so they could live vicariously through those characters. ‘Dallas’ was so influential.”

DALLAS, Larry Hagman, Television, 1978-1991

Everett Collection

Her former co-star Duffy said, “The way ‘Dallas’ was written, it’s standard writing template for shows that run any period of time from a few episodes onto years. But yeah, it all started with us. I really thought about it with ‘Succession.'” The stars also spoke about how the series showcased characters that were flawed yet still beloved by fans. From the years 1978-1991, Dallas gave fans some suspense and drama and earned four Emmys.

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Unfortunately, there was one Dallas star missing from the reunion. Larry Hagman, who played J.R. Ewing in the series, passed away in November 2012, amid the revival on TNT. He was definitely missed by the cast as they caught up. To keep the fun going, Duffy and Gray are about to head out on tour together, sharing new secrets about their time working on Dallas. You can currently stream Dallas on Amazon’s Freevee streaming service.