'Six Degrees of Vincent D'Onofrio'...Larry Hagman

WIKIPEDIA

Larry Hagman was born on September 21, 1931 in Fort Worth, Texas and is best known for his roles as 'Tony Nelson' in 'I Dream of Jeannie' and J.R. Ewing in 'Dallas'.  Upon hearing the news of his death, Barbara Eden, who played 'Jeannie' in the series, was so devastated she could not publicly speak and had comments sent through a rep.  His mother is Mary Martin, Broadway actress and musical comedy star.  She was just 17 when Larry was born and divorced her husband when Larry was five years old.  He lived with his grandmother in Texas and California while his mother was a contract player with Paramount.  Mary Martin remarried in 1938 to Richard Halliday and together they had a daughter, Heller, one year later.  Larry attended Black-Foxe Military Institute, known for its strictness.  His mother moved to NYC to continue her Broadway career while Larry stayed behind to live with his grandmother.  Two years later, his grandmother passed away and he went to live with his mother in NYC.  In 1946, Hagman moved back to Texas where he attended Weatherford High School in his hometown.  He worked for an oil field-equipment company and was pressed by his father, a lawyer, to go to school to become one and join his practice.  Instead, Larry was drawn to drama classes and fell in love with the stage because of the warm reception he received for his comedic performances.  He began his career as a production assistant and acting in some roles for a theater company.  Hagman was drafted into the military during the Korean War and was stationed in London.  Most of his military career was spent entertaining the troops.  Once out of the military, he returned to NYC and performed in several Off-Broadway plays.  He also appeared on several live TV programs most notably 'The Edge of Night'.  'I Dream of Jeannie' followed and ran for 5 seasons.  He would later reunite with Barbara Eden for several functions and publicity tours.  In 1977, he took on the role of  'J.R. Ewing' in 'Dallas'.  The successful show was seen in 90 countries and started a buzz when one episode found him shot begging the question, 'Who Shot J.R.?'  Locked in a salary dispute, it was not known if he would appear for the fourth season and not until the final few minutes.  His role on the show garnered him many awards nominations.  Just this year, 'Dallas' returned on TNT for new shows.  It is not known how Larry Hagman's death will be addressed in the new season.   Larry was married to Maj Axelsson and has two children, Heidi and Preston.  At the time of his death, they were married for 58 years.  In 1995, Hagman had a liver transplant after being diagnosed with liver cancer.  Being a heavy smoker, he immediately quit and was involved in anti-smoking campaigns.  This past November 23, Larry Hagman passed away from complications of throat cancer.  His family was at his side along with Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy, his fellow actors from 'Dallas'.  R.I.P.  Find the connection!