Trivia

Offered to pay for drug rehab for Robert Downey Jr. in 1996, after Downey asked to borrow $100,000 from him.

Required autograph seekers to sing a song for him or tell him a joke before giving his autograph. He said that he did this so he got something back from his fans.

He was the only actor to appear in all 357 episodes of Dallas (1978).

Always refused to talk about his role on I Dream of Jeannie (1965) until 2001.

Larry Hagman passed away on November 23, 2012. This was just one month before his 58th wedding anniversary to Maj Hagman. Upon his death, he was cremated; his ashes were scattered at the Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas.

His character J.R. Ewing was so hated that Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu allowed Dallas (1978) to be one of the few series shown in his country and paid Hagman to show his image through the country as he saw his character as epitomizing the very worst of American capitalism and hoped it would turn people against the idea.

The reason he wanted to stay on Dallas (1978) is because he wanted to work with Barbara Bel Geddes, who starred as his mother.

He refused to speak one day a week, simply as a test of his self-discipline.

Holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive appearances by a leading actor in an hour-long prime time dramatic series, for his 357 appearances on Dallas (1978).

Was known to throw parties for the cast and crew at his home whenever tensions ran high on set.

Diagnosed with Stage 2 throat cancer in June 2011, was cancer free for nearly the entire year in 2012, until just before his death.

Out of the original cast members of Dallas (1978), he was the only one that is originally from the state of Texas. Susan Howard, who later joined the cast as Donna Culver, is also from Texas.

His ex-Dallas (1978) co-star, Charlene Tilton, was the only member of the cast to attend his 70th birthday party on September 21, 2001.

He played the same character (J.R. Ewing) in three different series: Dallas (1978), Knots Landing (1979) and Dallas (2012).

Was reunited with ex-I Dream of Jeannie (1965) co-star, Barbara Eden on both series: A Howling in the Woods (1971) and Dallas (1978).

Before he was a successful actor, he was digging ditches and bailing hay in his hometown of Weatherford, Texas.

At the beginning of the second season of the revised Dallas (2012) series, he reduced his appearances because he needed to undergo chemotherapy.

With the encouragement of Dallas (1978) co-star, Patrick Duffy, he quit smoking and drinking after over 45 years. Hagman began drinking as a teenager.

As of 2012, his wife Maj Hagman has advanced Alzheimer's disease and lives in a rented flat near his house. She is attended to by five live-in nurses.

Just before his future Dallas (1978) co-star, Patrick Duffy was born, Hagman would frequently visit Duffy's parents' home, as a teenager. Years later, he suggested to Patrick that he audition for a role on Dallas (1978), and didn't know who Hagman was at the time.

According to ex-Dallas (1978) co-star, Charlene Tilton, after his death, she said in an interview, while she was a teenager, she resided with her single mother, before Hagman came in to become her surrogate father, while starring in Dallas (1978), who taught her how to behave professionally.

Due to health reasons, he quit drinking, smoking, and eating meat and dairy products.

Was one month younger than his I Dream of Jeannie (1965) co-star Barbara Eden.

His final guest-starring role was on Desperate Housewives (2004).

He almost passed away from liver failure, when his liver was matched in 30 days. Hagman was sent via helicopter to Cedar-Sinai Medical Center for liver transplantation. His operation was very successful, and the doctors had ordered him to quit drinking [22 August 1995].

When I Dream of Jeannie (1965) began, a crisis cropped up right away: Series star Barbara Eden was pregnant. This forced the quick filming of 10 episodes. Problems developed immediately between him, who was determined to make the sitcom the best it could be, and director Gene Nelson, who insisted that they follow the script to the letter. Each man wanted the other fired. Due to NBC's preference, Larry prevailed.

Was longtime friends with Richard Dawson. He used to play Frisbee at Hagman's house in Malibu, where he was residing at the time.

Earned a reported $75,000 to $100,000 an episode for Dallas (1978). (1980)

His idol when he was very young was Jim Davis, who in turn played his television father on Dallas (1978) until Davis' death on April 26, 1981. Had the portrait of his idol hanging in his house until the day he passed away. Hagman was one of the couple stars who was unable to attend Davis' funeral on May 1, 1981, when his plane was detained by a London airport strike.

His Dallas (1978) co-star, Ken Kercheval, said Hagman's character, J.R. Ewing was the total opposite of what Hagman was in real-life.

On Dallas (1978), his character drank heavily. In real-life, he also drank heavily, which led him to receiving a liver transplant in 1995. On Dallas: J.R. Returns (1996), his character stopped drinking, which was exactly what he did in real-life, after the doctors had ordered him to.

He met his wife while he was stationed in England, United Kingdom.

Just before his death, he reprised his role as J.R. Ewing in Dallas (2012).

Met Donna Mills on The Good Life (1971), where the two remained best friends for 41 years until Hagman's death on November 23, 2012.

Maj Axelsson Hagman of Los Angeles, California, passed away on May 31, 2016. The loving wife of actor Larry Hagman, she was known as an amazing hostess and mainstay of the family. Born in May 1928 in Eskilstuna, Sweden, she was the eldest of four sisters. Her father, who had a car dealership in Sweden, told his daughter to "reach for the stars in order to get to the treetops" and Maj followed his advice moving to London and becoming an accomplished dress designer. In London, she met the love of her life, a young serviceman named Larry Hagman, who had recently performed in the cast of the Broadway import musical "South Pacific", with his mother, the acclaimed New York musical theater star Mary Martin. Mag moved to New York City as a military bride and supported her husband Larry by designing and sewing costumes for nightclub singers while Larry worked in the New York theater. When Larry landed a starring role in the early 1960s on the popular sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie", Mag turned her considerable talents to supporting Larry's ascending career while continuing to design clothes, build extraordinary homes and even custom-design Jacuzzis. Mag later shared in the joys and successes of Larry Hagman's success as J.R. Ewing on the popular soap opera "Dallas" that ran from the late 1970s through the 1980s. The couple supported philanthropic causes from the Dallas and Ojai Symphonies to organ donations and solar energy. The couple traveled the world together over five and a half decades of their marriage until Larry passed away on November 23, 2012. In the end, she surpassed the treetops and touched the stars. Maj and Larry are survived to their two children and five grandchildren.

In recent years, Barbara Eden said that never before or since did she work with an actor that she had such a connection and rhythm with as Larry, both on I Dream of Jeannie (1965) and her guest role on Dallas (1978). There was an effortlessness acting with him that she never had with anyone else.

His idols were Jack Benny, John Wayne, Dick Powell, and his future Dallas (1978) leads Barbara Bel Geddes and Jim Davis.

At his wife's suggestion, he auditioned for the lead role of J.R. Ewing on Dallas (1978). Fortunately, he won the role.

He said his favorite series to date was Dallas (1978).

Before he was a successful actor, he met and used to work with a young unfamiliar actor Carroll O'Connor, who was working as an assistant stage manager for the Broadway play "God and Kate Murphy", in which Hagman starred.

On I Dream of Jeannie (1965), he played an astronaut who was a member of the United States Air Force. In real-life, Hagman served in the United States Air Force.

When his mother Mary Martin was diagnosed with cancer in 1989, Martin was a Kennedy Center Honoree that year. At the awards show, Hagman gave a funny and poignant tribute to his mother, who was in the audience.

Was longtime friends with Carroll O'Connor and spoke at O'Connor's funeral on June 26, 2001. O'Connor gave Hagman's daughter, Heidi Hagman, a role on Archie Bunker's Place (1979), in the early 1980s.

The Malibu house in which he used to reside is now owned by the rock star Sting.

Dated Dame Joan Collins while in England.

His series Dallas (1978) was filmed at an actual place called the Southfork Ranch.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at 1560 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California on September 9, 1981.

Before he was a successful actor, he used to dance with Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, on the opening night of "South Pacific" at the Savoy in London, England.

Was raised largely by his maternal grandmother while his mother became a famous stage actress.

Was an avid fan of The Sopranos (1999).