Larry Hagman Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director and producer best known for playing ruthless oil baron J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera "Dallas" and befuddled astronaut Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie". Hagman had supporting roles in numerous films, including "Fail-Safe", "Harry and Tonto", "S.O.B.", "Nixon" and "Primary Colors". His television appearances also included guest roles on dozens of shows spanning from the late 1950s until his death and a reprise of his signature role on the 2012
Larry Hagman his return in the fourth season. Holding out for a higher salary, Hagman did not appear in the first episode of the show until the final few minutes. Producers were faced with a dilemma whether to pay the greatly increased salary or to write J.R. out of the program. Lorimar Productions, the makers of the series, began shooting different scenes of "Dallas" which did not include Hagman. In the midst of negotiations, Hagman took his family to London for their July vacation. He continued to fight for his demands and network executives conceded that they wanted J.R. to remain on