What Happened To The Cast Of The 1978 TV Show Dallas?

Long before the Roys of New York or the Sopranos of New Jersey, one family dominated television: the Ewings of "Dallas." The genre-shaking soap opera aired for 14 seasons from 1978 to 1991, chronicling the dramatic, twist-filled epic saga of the Ewing Oil dynasty. 

On a picturesque ranch in Dallas, Texas, the family used their money, connections, and cunning to bat away threats from outside (like the Barnes family, whose decades-old beef with the Ewings propels much of the series' drama) and within. Whatever threats that rival oilman, spurned lovers, or wannabe politicians think they can pose, "Dallas" always reminds us that there's nothing stronger — or more dangerous — than family. 

Over 30 years have passed since the final episode of the original series, and there's been well over 10 years of silence from this world following a brief revival on TNT. As such, many are curious about what happened to the cast of "Dallas," so we tracked down as much information about its massive ensemble cast as we could. 

For all 13 seasons of "Dallas," Larry Hagman played John Ross "J.R." Ewing, the eldest son of the three Ewing boys, whose talent for underhanded, "detestable but necessary" business maneuvers made him one of the most compelling television characters ever written. When his character was famously shot at the end of the show's third season, the ensuing rabid audience interest certified "Dallas" as the once-in-a-lifetime cultural phenomenon it was (perhaps only the eventual "death" of Jon Snow or the finale of "The Sopranos" come close).

After "Dallas" ended in 1991, Hagman's next major project came in the form of the 1995 feature film "Nixon," a spiritual successor of sorts to director Oliver Stone's previous hit political thriller "JFK." Hagman played the fictional Jack Jones, a rich businessman not unlike J.R. who represented the disgraced U.S. President's (Anthony Hopkins) dealings with various wealthy elites. Unlike "JFK," Nixon was an unmitigated financial failure (and the president's portrayal may have been better in "Dick" anyway). In 1997, he led the first season of an ill-fated CBS drama series called "Orleans," in which he starred as a judge. A year after, he played Florida Governor Fred Picker in the Mike Nichols dramedy "Primary Colors," starring John Travolta and Emma Thompson.

Like most members of the "Dallas" cast, Hagman acted in several follow-up projects to the series, including the TV movies "Dallas: J.R. Returns" and "Dallas: War of the Ewings." In 2012, he returned to the role of J.R. once more for the TNT revival of the series, during which he passed away at the age of 81 due to complications from throat cancer.

Contrasting J.R. Ewing's near-sociopathic need for professional victory is Robert "Bobby" Ewing, his youngest brother (the third, middle Ewing Gary only appeared in a few episodes of "Dallas," but was one of the main characters of the spin-off series "Knots Landing"). Bobby is sturdy but empathetic man who tries his best to hold onto his own moral compass, despite his family's dealings.

In addition to the various "Dallas" continuations, Duffy landed a leading role on the ABC family sitcom "Step by Step," which ran for seven seasons and 160 episodes, despite being panned by critics (some of the animosity came from the series barely even remixing or updating the premise of "The Brady Bunch"). It ended in 1998. 

Duffy proceeded to guest-star in a wide range of TV shows (pretty much everything from "Diagnosis Murder" and "Reba" to "Justice League" and "Family Guy") and appeared in various TV movies. In 2006, he joined the cast of the daytime soap "The Bold and the Beautiful" as Stephen Logan, and has made appearances on the program as recently as 2023. In 2016, Duffy participated in the art film "Hotel Dallas," which examined how the series' popularity ostensibly changed the political trajectory of Romania, contributing to the cultural climate that led to the 1989 Romanian Revolution. In 2024, he recurred on the Carl Weber BET series "The Family Business."

"Dallas" kicks off with the revelation that Bobby Ewing is not only returning to the Southworth family ranch to take a more active hand in Ewing Oil, but he is doing so with a new bride — Pamela Barnes, a member of the rival Barnes clan, played by Victoria Principal. She's one of the smartest characters on the show, though her potential as an asset to the Ewing family is undermined by their suspicions of her true loyalty.

Like co-star Patrick Duffy, Principal's post-"Dallas" run began with a string of TV movies, as well as a supporting role in the 1992 miniseries "Burden of Proof." She guest-starred on a litany of well-known series including "Home Improvement," "Chicago Hope," and "The Practice," and she also played a fictionalized version of herself on an episode of HBO's meta talk show comedy "The Larry Sanders Show" (it's quietly one of the best series the network has ever produced). She also reprised her role from "Dallas" in a voice cameo on "Family Guy." Her most recent (and potentially final( acting role was in the short-lived TV series "Titans" (not to be confused with the DC Comics series of the same name).

Principal has semi-retired from acting to focus on other ventures. In 1991, she founded the anti-aging skin care brand Principal Secret. She also works with vulnerable and displaced animals at her own ranch in California.

Ewing family patriarch John "Jock" Ewing was played by Jim Davis. Jock spent most of his time on the series trying to juggle his dysfunctional children, while nursing his bitter rivalry with the Barnes family.

Davis played Jock Ewing up until his death in 1981. Reporters at the time were unsure of his exact age — the actor's recorded birth date at the time (available to the public in "biographical material") apparently had him at 65 years of age; other sources alleged he was 72 when he passed. The consensus now appears to be that he was 71. Leonard Katzman, executive producer and quasi-showrunner of "Dallas," told outlets shortly after Davis' death that they had no intention of recasting Jock, and he even applied for a waiver from the striking Writers Guild, so he and his team could adjust future storylines. It is ultimately revealed in a season 5 episode that Jock died in a helicopter crash.

Jock Ewing's wife Ellie (played by Barbara Bel Geddes) often represented the show's singular moral core. Her family owned the Southfork ranch that the Ewings call home at the beginning of the series, and her marriage to Jock, in part, caused her desperation to save her ancestral home.

Ellie Ewing was the final role Geddes played before she retired in 1990. She was written out of the series ahead of its final episodes by way of Miss Ellie discovering on a trip around the world that, understandably, she wants nothing more to do with her children or the family business. She leaves the ranch to her youngest son Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and doesn't look back. 

Geddes seems to have spent her retirement quietly, and she passed away in 2005 at the age of 82 due to complications from lung cancer.

Charlene Tilton played Lucy Ewing, the daughter of Gary Ewing (played first by David Ackroyd, then by Ted Shackleford for a majority of the franchise) and his ex-wife Valene (Joan Van Ark). At the beginning of the series, Lucy is under the care of the Ewings, having been effectively kidnapped by J.R. from her mother, who was fleeing an abusive Gary across the country (Gary, meanwhile, had dropped off the face of the earth).

Following her final appearance on "Dallas" in 1990, Tilton enjoyed a vast and varied career that included a surprising number of raunchy comedies. She featured prominently in "Totally Blonde," "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," "Superhero Movie," and a laundry list of other titles in the genre (she also guest-starred on sitcoms like "Married... with Children" and "Malcolm in the Middle"). Tilton also reprised her role as Lucy Ewing for six episodes of the "Dallas" sequel series.

A truly despicable aspect of J.R. Ewing's character is his treatment of his wife, former Miss Texas, Sue Ellen Ewing (Linda Gray). Despite his neglect, philandering, and abusive treatment of her, Sue Ellen tries (at least at first) to push her husband to compete more effectively with his brother Bobby. (They have a child, John Ross Ewing III, who is played by Josh Henderson in the TNT sequel series.)

The same year "Dallas" ended, Gray played Roxanne in the Sylvester Stalone comedy film "Oscar." She then went on to star in a number of TV movies (as well as guest-star on "Melrose Place" and "Lovejoy") before she began leading the "Melrose Place" spin-off soap opera series "Models Inc." Her character (the mother of Heather Locklear's Amanda Woodward) manages a fast-paced modeling agency with an intense clientele. The series ran for just under 30 episodes before ending in 1995. In 1999, she landed another prominent film role as Linda Trask in "Star of Jaipur." For six episodes from 2005-2006, she had a storyline on "The Bold and the Beautiful."

Interestingly enough, one of Gray's most recent credits is as a performer in the blockbuster video game "Starfield."

After replacing Suzanne Sommers on "Three's Company," Jenilee Harrison was cast as Jamie Ewing on "Dallas." Jamie is the daughter of Jock Ewing's older brother Jason, making her J.R. and Bobby's cousin. She appears as an immediate threat to the former Ewing brother, as the death of her father gives her a significant legal claim to the family business (things get even worse when she starts dating the heir to the Barnes share of the company as well).

Aside from a 2017 reunion with the surviving cast members of "Three's Company," Harrison hasn't acted in a film or television show since 2002. After "Dallas," she too guest-starred on a handful of high-profile series including "Murder She Wrote" and "The '70s Show," and briefly recurred on "The Love Boat." However, she soon decided to divert her attention to other business ventures.

Around the same time Jamie Ewing appeared, her brother Jack Ewing (Dack Rambo) popped up too. While Jamie flirted (literally) with breaking up Ewing Oil and ending the family business as they knew it, Jack collaborated with J.R. and Bobby to try and stop her.

Rambo and his character left "Dallas" in 1987, after which he mostly guest-starred on various popular television programs before joining the cast of the soap opera "Another World." However, in 1991, the actor tested positive for HIV. This inspired him to discuss his bisexuality and illness openly, but he retired immediately from the entertainment industry. In statements after the fact, he implied that "Dallas" creative personnel were aware of his sexuality and were diminishing his presence on the show as a result. He passed away in 1994 at the age of 53 due to complications from the virus.

When Sheree J. Wilson joined "Dallas" in 1986, she was mostly known for starring in Sam Raimi's most misunderstood film, "Crimewave." She found more mainstream success on Southfork ranch, wherein she played April Stevens, the formerly estranged ex-wife of Jack Ewing. At first, her primary goal is to make good on a court order that grants her half of the profits from Jack's shares of Ewing Oil (in true Ewing fashion, he finds a way to cheat his way out).

Wilson stayed with "Dallas" through to its end. After guest-starring spots on "Matlock" and "Renegade," she struck oil once more by landing a major role on "Walker, Texas Ranger." In the Chuck Norris-led series, Wilson played Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cahill. She is the primary romantic interest of Norris' Cordell Walker. Nearly 200 episodes and several TV movies kept Wilson quite busy for the better part of a decade, and she has since continued to act in lower-budget films like 2011's "The Gundown."

April Stevens had a sister — Michelle Stevens, played by Kimberly Foster. Her character joined the show later than the former Stevens sister, and she was at first motivated by getting as close to the Ewing family (and their money) as possible. However, after a personal tragedy, she becomes a self-sustaining force of vengeance willing to collaborate with anyone to take down the Ewings.

Foster had a few supporting and guest-starring roles in films and television shows after "Dallas," including on "Quantum Leap." She eventually joined the cast of "All My Children" as Liz Sloan in 1994, appearing in 14 episodes of the soap before seemingly retiring from acting.

Unsurprisingly, the marriage of J.R. and Sue Ellen Ewing is not built to last. During his first divorced-dad era, J.R. is forced into marrying Cally Harper, a waitress whom he has a one night stand with. This relationship doesn't last too long (though perhaps longer than one might expect), and Cally remains a recurring presence in the series until its finale. She was played by Cathy Podewell.

After "Dallas" ended, Podewell took guest-starring roles on "Murder She Wrote," "Beverly Hills 90210," and "Walker, Texas Ranger," but she soon took a hiatus from acting for unknown reasons. She returned to the role of Cally Harper Ewing for an episode of TNT's "Dallas," but she has otherwise seemingly focused on her personal life. Podewell still attends genre conventions where she interacts with fans and occasionally appears on podcasts to talk about her work.

Once a featured actor in "Dillinger," one of the best mob movies out there, Steve Kanaly was part of the original cast of "Dallas" during its first season. He played the lascivious ranch hand Ray Krebbs, whose prior affair with Pamela Barnes creates tension between him and Bobby Ewing. To complicate matters further, he also happens to be sleeping with the high school-aged Lucy (yikes) — who, later, is revealed to be his niece, after it comes to light that Ray's biological father is Jock Ewing (double yikes).

Kanaly's most prominent post-"Dallas" is considered to be Hank Madden in the little-known drama "Sliding Home." He also had prominent roles in the series "Okavango: The Wild Frontier" and "All My Children" (as Seabone Hunkle) and guest-starred on an episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger." His most recent job was recurring on TNT's "Dallas" sequel series, reprising the role of Ray Krebbs.

The wife of powerful Texas politician, Donna Culver (Susan Howard) curiously chooses to nearly upend her entire life by getting into bed with Ray Krebbs. When her husband dies, she waits a respectful amount of time (and, of course, dates someone with the last name Barnes) before finally marrying Ray.

Donna was written out of the show in 1987, having left Ray for Senator Andrew Dowling (Jim McMullan). Howard has stated in years since that she believes this decision was made in retaliation for her raising objections to the show's abortion storylines, one of which involved her character choosing whether or not to abort a pregnancy after finding out the child would have Down syndrome. Howard did not act between the years of 1987 and 2024, though she did briefly co-host "The 700 Club" during Pat Robertson's run at the presidency in 1988.

Jock Ewing's archrival Willard "Digger" Barnes was played by David Wayne. The pair were once close friends and partners in the oil business, though bitter feelings bubbled up when Jock began cutting Digger out of profits for fear of his addiction disorder. The two men also both vied for the heart of Ellie Ewing (then Southworth), with her final decision leaving Digger with a wound he would carry for the rest of his life.

Despite being considered part of the show's core ensemble, Digger only appeared on "Dallas" four times in the first two seasons. After his last appearance, Wayne joined the cast of the series "House Calls." He played an elderly curmudgeon of a doctor who runs a hospital. He also guest-starred on shows like "Murder She Wrote," "St. Elsewhere," "Newhart," "The Love Boat," and "Golden Girls." He passed away in 1995 at the age of 81.

The only surviving son of Willard Barnes, Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval) is a lawyer who has passionately inherited his family's distrust of the Ewings. He holds a particular animosity for J.R. Ewing, the two of them maintaining a continuous feud throughout the series that almost always ends in J.R.'s favor.

After "Dallas," Kercheval appeared on various television series including "L.A. Law," "Murder She Wrote," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "ER," "Diagnosis Murder." His last major role was as Cliff Barnes in the "Dallas" revival. He passed away in 2019 at the age of 83.

Not wanting to replace Jim Davis as Jock Ewing but missing the character's steady, fatherly presence in the series, "Dallas" brought in Howard Keel as Clayton Farlow. Similar to Jock, Clayton is an older rancher and oilman who becomes intimately involved with the politics of the Ewing family.

Keel wasn't terribly busy as an actor after "Dallas" ended. He too got guest-starring roles on "Murder She Wrote" and "Walker, Texas Ranger," as well as a supporting role in a "Hart to Hart" TV movie ("Home Is Where the Hart Is"). He was, however, a talented singer and musician, and "Dallas" had a large hand in reviving his career as a touring musical performer (he was also in the film adaptation of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," which has one of the best movie musical songs). He appears to have spent his final years traveling the country performing in various shows, including "White Christmas" and "My Fair Lady." 

Keel passed away in 2004 at the age of 85 due to complications from cancer.

With a career and public image that's incredibly diverse, it's easy to forget that Priscilla Presley played a major role on "Dallas." In the show's second season, she was Bobby Ewing's former flame Jenna Wade, who gives birth to his child and later marries Ray Krebbs.

Focusing on her career in film and television (Presley has enjoyed rare success in several industries that would be too difficult to summarize responsibly here), she left "Dallas" in 1988. Because an official reason was never given, it's been rumored Presley had been upset by scheduling constraints that prevented her from being in "James Bond" (Presley herself later denied this, further clarifying that her not being in the film was a career decision and not a scheduling issue). 

Presley was cast as Jane Spencer in the crime parody film "The Naked Gun" with Leslie Nielsen, and she reprised the role in two sequels. She also had recurring roles in "Melrose Place" and "Spin City." Her most recent role was voicing a fictionalized version of herself in the Netflix animated series "Agent Elvis," which she also co-created and produced. Her life was also dramatized in the Sofia Coppola film "Priscilla."

Carter McKay (George Kennedy) is one of the many enemies of which the Ewing family run afoul. He bought Ray Krebbs ranch while the foreman was preoccupied with his relationship with Jenna Wade, and he almost immediately used his new property to create trouble for the Ewings. The two families eventually engage in all out war with one another, almost literally.

Kennedy too featured in the "Naked Gun" series with Priscilla Presley, playing Police Captain Ed Hocken. He also had guest-starring roles on "Wings" and "The Commish," and he recurred as Albert Miller on "The Young and the Restless." His final role before his death in 2016 at the age of 91 was in the 2014 Mark Wahlberg film "The Gambler."

Though she wasn't around for very long, public relations consultant Stephanie Rogers (Lesley-Anne Down) is an interesting member of the "Dallas" extended character-web. Apparently British, she worked on Cliff Barnes' ill-fated bid for the governor's seat. When her character was fired by the hapless bureaucrat, she was never seen again.

Down left "Dallas" in 1990, featuring in a number of smaller TV shows and movies before landing a leading, series regular role on the NBC soap opera "Sunset Beach," playing Olivia Richards. She followed this with a smaller recurring guest-star spot on "Days of Our Lives," then another starring role on "The Bold and the Beautiful." Between the four soaps alone, she appeared in well over 1,200 episodes of television over 22 years. Amidst this work, she was also taking guest-starring roles in other TV shows and supporting parts in low-budget films. Most recently, she played Margaret Thatcher in the biopic "Reagan."

Yet another one of Cliff Barnes' short-lived and obviously suspicious romantic partners, Liz Adams (Barbara Stock) comes to Dallas with connections to both Bobby Ewing and Carter McKay. She is probably the most vivid example of the "mysterious character with an even more mysterious (and ludicrous) past" stock soap opera character seen on "Dallas."

Post-"Dallas," Stock had a number of guest-starring roles on TV, including in "Seinfeld" (scamming George Costanza in the classic episode "The Subway"), "Baywatch," and "Charmed." She then booked a recurring role on 28 episodes of the 2000s soap opera "Port Charles." Not long afterward, she retired as an actor and left the entertainment industry entirely, starting an interior design business that's still in operation as of writing.

James Beaumont (Sasha Mitchell) is the true first born son of J.R. Ewing, having been the product of an affair that took place over two decades before the first season. Curiously, Beaumont never factored into the legacy-related antics of TNT's "Dallas."

In 1991, Mitchell joined the "Kickboxer" series of films as David Sloan, starring in three sequels to the original. Meanwhile, he was also a principal cast member on the aforementioned sitcom "Step by Step," playing the dimwitted Cody alongside fellow "Dallas" alum Patrick Duffy. Aside from these roles, he had a few guest-starring spots on shows like "Love Boat: The Next Wave," "ER," and "NYPD Blue." 

Mitchell's last role was in the 2019 feature "Drunk Parents," a comedy that also starred Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek. Though Mitchell — like most of the cast of "Dallas" — has had a quieter career since the series' end, he has a career few can match, if only for the hand he had in one of the most important TV series ever made.