Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Interview With Larry Hagman

Aired September 04, 2003 - 11:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, some time has passed. 2003 marks 25 years since the ground-breaking primetime soap "Dallas" premiered on CBS. Now "Dallas" is hoping to appeal to a new generation of fans with reruns on the cable channel SoapNet.
Larry Hagman is ingrained as the scheming, dirty dealing, two timing, womanizing Texas oil baron J.R. Ewing. Did we mention scheming? And he's laughing. Look at that. These are all compliments to Larry Hagman, of course, the actor that brought that character to life for us. And he's joining us from New York this morning.

Larry, good morning.

LARRY HAGMAN, ACTOR: Good morning.

KAGAN: And happy anniversary.

HAGMAN: Yes, isn't it wonderful?

KAGAN: Can you believe it's been 25 years?

HAGMAN: I can't. And I'm still here.

KAGAN: You're still here. You've had some challenges along the way. Want to talk about that in just a moment. But first take us back 25, 26 years ago when you first pitched this part. How did they sell it to you?

HAGMAN: I got two scripts. One was "The Waverly Wonders (ph)", a half hour comedy, and "Dallas". And my wife took "Dallas" in another room and read about 10 or 15 minutes of it and a whoop came out of that room. She said, Larry, this is it. There's not one nice redeeming character in the whole show and you're going to love this. So that decided me.

KAGAN: Kind of a concern there when your wife says, You know, this is a bad guy and you were meant to play him.

HAGMAN: Yep.

KAGAN: Did you ever have any idea or at what point did you have an idea of what a big deal "Dallas" was going to become?

HAGMAN: Well, no. Of course not. Not originally. But you know when the "Who Shot J.R.?" episodes came along, I knew we were set for a long time. I didn't know it was going to be 13 seasons but I knew it was going to happen.

KAGAN: And remind us again, you know it is a famous line, "Who shot J.R.? But who did shoot J.R.?

HAGMAN: Mary Crosby.

HAGMAN: There you go. And the plotline and her motivation?

HAGMAN: Well she was playing my wife's sister and I was having a little affair with her.

KAGAN: Yeah just a little affair.

HAGMAN: Yeah, right.

HAGMAN: There was that. You know why it's so hard to remember it's just because there were so many people who had the motivation to shoot J.R. You were such a bad guy.

HAGMAN: Oh, almost everybody, yes. Everybody had a motivation, for sure.

KAGAN: And now all these episodes are going on SoapNet, so it's going to be a whole other. Actually new fans but also some old fans to visit the "Dallas" episodes.

HAGMAN: Yes, and now maybe the kids will be able to see. You know a lot of families didn't want their children to see it. I think with the current daytime soap opera, they do a lot more things than we did in those days.

KAGAN: Well it is so amazing, yes. It was considered kind of scandalous at the time, but so tame. It's going to be fun just to watch, just to see it in that respect.

HAGMAN: Yes, it'll be like watching history.

KAGAN: You've been out there with some public health concerns over the years, so want to check in on that. You've been very public about quitting smoking.

HAGMAN: Oh, yes.

KAGAN: Staying good on that?

HAGMAN: Yes, oh, yes, of course.

KAGAN: Good. And the liver transplant. How's your health been?

HAGMAN: My health has been excellent. I had my eighth birthday on the 23rd of August. So it's been eight wonderful years.

KAGAN: Congratulations on that. And of course you've been very outspoken and encouraging people to be organ donors. Have you ever had any contact with the family that arranged that you would be able to have this organ donation? HAGMAN: No, I have not. No, I've never met them.

KAGAN: And yet I'm sure they're in your thoughts every day you have good days.

HAGMAN: Oh absolutely. I have a picture of my donor above my shaving mirror, so I see him every day.

KAGAN: Oh really? Oh that great. That's great. Well we wish you well with the reruns of "Dallas" on SoapNet. And you know I became a fan when you were Major Anthony Nelson, "I Dream of Jeannie."

HAGMAN: Oh really? Yes. That's was 38 years ago, I think.

KAGAN: Of course it was reruns. That's right.

(LAUGHTER)

HAGMAN: Oh well, of course. You would have never seen the originals.

KAGAN: No, no, no.

Larry, good luck with the reruns of "Dallas" and it's a pleasure to have you on and continued good health to you.

HAGMAN: Thank you so much.

KAGAN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 4, 2003 - 11:39   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, some time has passed. 2003 marks 25 years since the ground-breaking primetime soap "Dallas" premiered on CBS. Now "Dallas" is hoping to appeal to a new generation of fans with reruns on the cable channel SoapNet.
Larry Hagman is ingrained as the scheming, dirty dealing, two timing, womanizing Texas oil baron J.R. Ewing. Did we mention scheming? And he's laughing. Look at that. These are all compliments to Larry Hagman, of course, the actor that brought that character to life for us. And he's joining us from New York this morning.

Larry, good morning.

LARRY HAGMAN, ACTOR: Good morning.

KAGAN: And happy anniversary.

HAGMAN: Yes, isn't it wonderful?

KAGAN: Can you believe it's been 25 years?

HAGMAN: I can't. And I'm still here.

KAGAN: You're still here. You've had some challenges along the way. Want to talk about that in just a moment. But first take us back 25, 26 years ago when you first pitched this part. How did they sell it to you?

HAGMAN: I got two scripts. One was "The Waverly Wonders (ph)", a half hour comedy, and "Dallas". And my wife took "Dallas" in another room and read about 10 or 15 minutes of it and a whoop came out of that room. She said, Larry, this is it. There's not one nice redeeming character in the whole show and you're going to love this. So that decided me.

KAGAN: Kind of a concern there when your wife says, You know, this is a bad guy and you were meant to play him.

HAGMAN: Yep.

KAGAN: Did you ever have any idea or at what point did you have an idea of what a big deal "Dallas" was going to become?

HAGMAN: Well, no. Of course not. Not originally. But you know when the "Who Shot J.R.?" episodes came along, I knew we were set for a long time. I didn't know it was going to be 13 seasons but I knew it was going to happen.

KAGAN: And remind us again, you know it is a famous line, "Who shot J.R.? But who did shoot J.R.?

HAGMAN: Mary Crosby.

HAGMAN: There you go. And the plotline and her motivation?

HAGMAN: Well she was playing my wife's sister and I was having a little affair with her.

KAGAN: Yeah just a little affair.

HAGMAN: Yeah, right.

HAGMAN: There was that. You know why it's so hard to remember it's just because there were so many people who had the motivation to shoot J.R. You were such a bad guy.

HAGMAN: Oh, almost everybody, yes. Everybody had a motivation, for sure.

KAGAN: And now all these episodes are going on SoapNet, so it's going to be a whole other. Actually new fans but also some old fans to visit the "Dallas" episodes.

HAGMAN: Yes, and now maybe the kids will be able to see. You know a lot of families didn't want their children to see it. I think with the current daytime soap opera, they do a lot more things than we did in those days.

KAGAN: Well it is so amazing, yes. It was considered kind of scandalous at the time, but so tame. It's going to be fun just to watch, just to see it in that respect.

HAGMAN: Yes, it'll be like watching history.

KAGAN: You've been out there with some public health concerns over the years, so want to check in on that. You've been very public about quitting smoking.

HAGMAN: Oh, yes.

KAGAN: Staying good on that?

HAGMAN: Yes, oh, yes, of course.

KAGAN: Good. And the liver transplant. How's your health been?

HAGMAN: My health has been excellent. I had my eighth birthday on the 23rd of August. So it's been eight wonderful years.

KAGAN: Congratulations on that. And of course you've been very outspoken and encouraging people to be organ donors. Have you ever had any contact with the family that arranged that you would be able to have this organ donation? HAGMAN: No, I have not. No, I've never met them.

KAGAN: And yet I'm sure they're in your thoughts every day you have good days.

HAGMAN: Oh absolutely. I have a picture of my donor above my shaving mirror, so I see him every day.

KAGAN: Oh really? Oh that great. That's great. Well we wish you well with the reruns of "Dallas" on SoapNet. And you know I became a fan when you were Major Anthony Nelson, "I Dream of Jeannie."

HAGMAN: Oh really? Yes. That's was 38 years ago, I think.

KAGAN: Of course it was reruns. That's right.

(LAUGHTER)

HAGMAN: Oh well, of course. You would have never seen the originals.

KAGAN: No, no, no.

Larry, good luck with the reruns of "Dallas" and it's a pleasure to have you on and continued good health to you.

HAGMAN: Thank you so much.

KAGAN: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com