Larry Hagman was willing to take a risk so that his pal could come back.
It was the eighth season of “Dallas” when Patrick Duffy decided to leave in hopes of pursuing other acting roles. His character, J.R. Ewing’s (Hagman) brother Bobby, was originally supposed to be killed off at the end of the first season, Entertainment Weekly reported. However, Bobby met his demise at the end of season 8 when he was run over by a car and died from his injuries at a hospital, the outlet revealed.
Joan Van Ark, who appeared in “Dallas” before she went on to star in the spinoff “Knots Landing,” recently reunited with the surviving cast at Oscar’s in Palm Springs, California. Hagman died in 2012 at age 81.
“Larry wanted Patrick back,” the actress told Fox News Digital. “Patrick, Larry and [co-star] Linda [Gray] were like the three musketeers on set. And there was no question that Larry wanted his buddy, his brother, back.
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Patrick Duffy, left as Bobby Ewing, left “Dallas” to pursue other roles. But, soon after, Larry Hagman (right) gave him a call that would forever change the show’s fate. ( CBS via Getty Images)
“After Patrick left the show, Larry called him and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come on out and sit in the sauna? I’ll put some champagne in the refrigerator. Let’s have a chat,’” Van Ark shared. “Patrick hung up and said to his wife, ‘I think he’s gonna ask me to come back. I feel it.’ You know, Patrick had left the show because he thought he had done everything he could do as Bobby.”
“It was Patrick’s wife who said wisely, ‘If you’re going to come back, you have to make it like it was a dream,’” Van Ark continued. “It was her suggestion… And that’s how it was filmed. As if it was all a dream. But it was Patrick’s wife who came up with the idea, and they went with it.”
According to reports, ratings for “Dallas” were sagging when Hagman convinced Duffy to come back and have his character resurrected. But Van Ark said there was much more to Duffy’s return.
Cast members of the TV program “Dallas” circa 1978. From left to right: Linda Gray, Steve Kanaly, Charlene Tilton, Larry Hagman, Victoria Principal and Patrick Duffy. (Richard Harrison/Fotos International/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
“They were incredibly close,” she said. “All three of them — Larry, Patrick and Linda. When I was on set, you could see how special that friendship was. And that’s what made the series last in my opinion. The connection was real. There was love there.”
Patrick Duffy, seen here, developed a close friendship with Larry Hagman that endured long after “Dallas” came to an end. (CBS via Getty Images)
In the now-famous 1986 episode, Bobby’s wife Pam [Victoria Principal] woke up in the final scene of season 9 to find Bobby in the shower. Duffy told People magazine during the reunion that his wife’s “literary knowledge” prompted the idea of how his character would be resurrected.
“Half of Shakespeare’s plays have dreams,” said the 74-year-old. “I did it because Haggy asked me to.”
In a scene from the American television series “Dallas,” American actor Patrick Duffy (as Bobby Ewing) stands in the shower and looks over his shoulder in an episode called “Blast From the Past” in May 1986. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
In an interview with Archive, Hagman said he was determined to keep Duffy’s appearance top secret. That’s when they came up with the idea of Duffy filming a bogus commercial for Irish Spring soap.
“They did it in another studio,” he shared. “Nobody tipped that he was going to come back like that, or he was going to come back at all. They kept that big, big secret. Nobody got it out. And they didn’t use anything. They shot the whole long commercial, but all they used was his turn.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, some fans and critics were appalled by the plot twist. Still, it proved to be a ratings hit, drawing 36 million viewers.
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From left: Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Larry Hagman arrive at the launch party for the new television series “Dallas” at Old Billingsgate Aug. 21, 2012, in London. Hagman died in November of that year. (Claire Greenway/Getty Images)
Van Ark admitted the cast reunion was bittersweet without Hagman, but his presence was felt.
Joan Van Ark told Fox News Digital Larry Hagman’s presence was felt during the recent “Dallas” reunion. (Mark Sullivan/WireImage)
“I have so many memories of Larry. He was such a prankster,” she chuckled. “He would put peanut butter in his mouth unbeknownst to me and squirt it through his teeth. He always wanted to keep the set light, fun and happy. And, my gosh, Larry and Patrick were such pranksters on set. They were like brothers. But Larry was the prize winner.”
But Hagman was no-nonsense about his “silent Sundays” when he wouldn’t talk to anybody.
Larry Hagman maintained “Silent Sundays” and only communicated by whistling. (CBS via Getty Images)
“I feel chills just thinking about that,” said Van Ark. “He would do nothing but whistle. He wouldn’t say a single word. He would just whistle to get your attention!”
Gray, 82, told People magazine that even during outings, Hagman’s wife would show the star the menu at a restaurant and he “would whistle what he wanted.”
When asked if it was vocal rest, Gray said “No, it’s bulls—.
“He did it for years and years,” she added. “He was like a little boy. But it was also control.”
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Joan Van Ark starred as Valene Ewing in the “Dallas” spinoff “Knots Landing.” (CBS via Getty Images)
“Dallas” aired from 1978 to 1991. It was a hit in 57 countries and revived Hagman’s career after he co-starred in the ‘60s sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie.”
Larry Hagman originally starred in the ‘60s sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” opposite Barbara Eden. (FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images)
The show’s signature episode that answered the question “Who shot J.R.?” set viewing records, with an estimated 350 million people tuning in globally, The New York Times reported. According to the outlet, the shooter was Kirstin Shepard [Mary Crosby], the adulterous sister of J.R.’s wife [Gray]. The outlet noted that the episode became the second-highest-rated TV program ever after the final episode of “M*A*S*H.”
At the time of his death, Hagman was in Dallas filming an episode of the “Dallas” reboot.
American actor Larry Hagman makes a toast in the episode “Family Matters” of the TV soap opera series “Knots Landing” in December 1980. Also appearing in the scene are (clockwise from top) American actors Donna Mills, Michele Lee, Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Van Ark portrayed Valene on “Knots Landing” from 1979 to 1993. The star insisted she never felt typecast over the years.
“All that mattered to me was giving my best as Valene,” she said. “There were some challenges towards the very end of my run where Valene was going off the rails. … I just thought, ‘She is not that stupid.’ But I think they ran out of storylines and things to do. … But the show was special because it was relatable, and it had some magnificent storylines.
“’Dallas’ had the furs and dripping jewels,” she shared. “It was glamorous. But ‘Knots’ was this cul-de-sac with normal lives. I think people could identify with that. … And we all became a family. Larry was the one who lit the fire. And I think people could feel that bond we shared. And it wasn’t just the cast. We connected with our producers and writers too. I always wanted to make sure I did my work and gave my very best performance for our viewers.”
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The stars of “Knots Landing.” From left: Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee and Donna Mills. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Van Ark said she would be open to a “Knots” reboot. The show resulted in a “sisterhood” between Van Ark and co-stars Michele Lee and Donna Mills.
From left: Donna Mills, Michele Lee and Joan Van Ark attend the Hollywood Museum’s 40th Anniversary of “Knots Landing” Jan. 18, 2020, in Hollywood, Calif. (Harmony Gerber/Getty Images)
“We’re trying to put a podcast together,” she teased. “I’d love to call the podcast ‘We’re Knot Done Yet’ and show everybody we still got it going on. … We can still deliver. We all have something to offer. … And I’m all about having fun. And I think that’s what our experiences taught us. I know Larry was all about having fun.”
