J. R. Ewing personalized license plate "EWING 3". J. R. Ewing John Ross "J. R." Ewing Jr. is a fictional character in the American television series "Dallas" (1978–91) and its spin-offs, including the revived "Dallas" series (2012–14). The character was portrayed by Larry Hagman from the series premiere in 1978 until his death in late 2012, and Hagman was the only actor who appeared in all 357 episodes of the original series. As the show's most famous character, J.R. has been central to many of the series' biggest storylines. He is depicted as a covetous, egocentric, manipulative and amoral oil baron with psychopathic
Larry Hagman family war between Christopher and John Ross III. In 1973, his stepfather Richard Halliday died, and Hagman reconciled with his mother, Mary Martin, soon after. The two were close until her death from colon cancer in 1990. In 1954, Hagman married Swedish-born Maj Axelsson (born May 13, 1928, in Eskilstuna, Södermanlands län, Sweden – died May 31, 2016, in Los Angeles, California); they had two children, Heidi Kristina (born 1958) and Preston (born 1962). Longtime residents of Malibu, California, they then moved to Ojai. Hagman was a member of the Peace and Freedom Party since the 1960s. Hagman derided U.S.