Morgan Fairchild Reveals Why She Turned Down a Full-Time Role on ‘Dallas’ (Exclusive)

Morgan Fairchild made her television debut on Search for Tomorrow before becoming one of the defining TV icons of the 1970s and 1980s. An ’80s poster pin-up and glamorous leading lady, she starred in hit series including Flamingo Road, Dallas, and Mork & Mindy. A new generation of fans later discovered her in the 1990s when she memorably played Chandler Bing’s glamorous mother, Nora Tyler Bing, on Friends.

Today, Fairchild continues to work, most recently appearing in Ladies of the ’80s: A Diva Christmas and The Bold and the Beautiful. ReMIND Magazine sat down with the icon for a two-part interview. Fairchild opens up about her new podcast, working as Faye Dunaway‘s double, being dubbed “the poor man’s Miranda,” and her experiences on Dallas and Flamingo Road.

Tell me a little bit about your new podcast, Two B*tches from Texas?

My sister and I started in the theater when we were kids, literally, children. We did a lot of shows together back then. Then she went off and had a scholarship to Juilliard. I was doing a lot of theater and finally got on Search for Tomorrow in New York. We’ve always been looking for ways to work together again. So, during COVID,  we started scheduling a Sunday evening call, and that was kind of the genesis of it. Since she’s in Texas and I’m in LA, and about a year ago, I said, podcasts seem to be the hot thing, and we could do it remotely. We started putting it together and making lists of friends that we could ask to do it and finding a producer.

How did the name come about?

Once we got it together, then we had to figure out a name for the damn thing. Everything was either too bland or too cutesy. So finally, I just said it’s really just Two B*tches from Texas sitting around talking about how to save the world. So, my producer said, ‘You know, that’s kind of catchy.’ It’s Two B*tches from Texas, and that’s basically what we do.

Let’s talk about your return to The Bold and the Beautiful and working beside Jim J. Bullock?

Oh God. That’s so much fun. Everybody over there is so nice, and Jim J. Bullock, I just love. He and I’ve known each other kind of off and on for years, but it’s the first time we’ve really worked together. But they’re just so great over there. Everybody is wonderful and welcoming, which some sets aren’t. Everybody comes over to say hello. It’s just so sweet. So, it’s been great fun.

Bahareh Ritter/©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

We did one episode, and now we’ve taped two more. I’m not sure when those are going to run, but it’s fun playing a character who’s a little bit like The Devil Wears Prada. Yes, me being Meryl Streep… a poor man’s Meryl Streep, and Jim being Stanley Tucci whispering in my ear. We’re just having great fun with it. Brad Bell has been just great, the owner of the show. We’ll see if they have us come back and do any more.

How was it filming The Seduction?

I thought it was very underrated at the time. When they offered it to me, I read the script, and I was intrigued because people forget – because it was so long ago now – but that was the first time that kind of a stalker film was being made. Also, the fact that the woman turns the tables on the stalker herself, not being rescued by a guy – because he killed all my guys in the film. But I found it rather iconic classic, so I’m glad you liked it.

Actually, a few people I’ve seen recently told me that they watched it again, somehow it popped up, and said they thought it had held up pretty well, given how old it is.

You were a body double for Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde. Can you tell me about that?

I was a double, not a body double, because that’s for nude scenes. (laughs) I was doing a lot of driving in the film, but technically, I was just a double. In a lot of scenes, if it’s too far away or it’s silhouetted and the back of a head or something like that, it’s probably me instead of Faye.

You did only one episode of Dallas as  Jenna Wade. Is that correct? Why didn’t you come back?

They asked me after Flamingo Road got canceled, and it was the same production company. But at that point, I had a development deal for a show of my own that I would be a producer on. So I decided not to do Dallas. At that point, Dallas had been on for like seven or eight years. In your mind you’re thinking, do I get to be a producer of my own show or go into a show that maybe it’s going to run another year or two? Who knew (laughing) it was going to go on forever. Maybe I would have just dumped mine and done it because mine ended up not panning out. But who knew?

Any memories of working with Larry Hagman?

I remember when we were shooting the episode because some of the actors were not doing real Texas accents. They were kind of doing Southern accents. Larry and I were the only two native Texans on the set. So, the producers said, why don’t you go over and talk to Morgan or Larry and get the accent right. So, some of the actors would come up with their scripts and say, ‘Can you just say these lines in Texican so I can hear what it should sound like.’ Larry and I always laughed about that ‘Texican.’  He was a real sweetheart.

Larry and I did a lot of charity events together too. Willie Nelson‘s an old friend. Willie would sometimes ask Larry and I to emcee charity events he was doing in Texas. We would always do it. Larry would always show up in the Stetson and packs of $100 bills of “Larry” money. But he was always great fun, such a sweet, nice guy.

Can you share any stories from the set of Flamingo Road? How were your male co-stars and who was the best kisser?

I never give away who’s the best kisser. (laughing) I don’t want to make that many enemies. I just felt so lucky at that time to be doing a series, number one, but to be working with people that I had grown up with like Howard Duff, Barbara Rush and Stella Stevens.

I remember when I saw Stella when I was a kid on Ben Casey, and I just thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world. My mother was so excited that Barbara was going to be my mother, ’cause she’s such a lady. They were all just wonderful, and it’s just great to work with people that you’ve grown up watching.

I remember it was always fun watching Howard (Duff) and Kevin (McCarthy) at the dinner scenes because Kevin had every old actor trick in the book to try to steal the scene, and sometimes Howard would fall asleep.

Back in the day, they would send us to TV affiliates where you’d go into a town, or people would come here, and you’d go from hotel room to hotel room, and we’d do interviews.

They would send Howard and me out together, and we were very silly. (laughs). People would say, ‘You guys should do a nightclub act.’  Howard was very funny and dry, and we had a great time together.

Morgan Fairchild Reveals Regrets in Friendship With the Late Matthew Perry

She wishes she would have been there for him more.

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March 2023

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