Dallas
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$12 Million
"It's great to challenge your mind, to do something you've never done in your life. It fires certain things in your brain." Best known for playing the role of Sue Ellen Ewing on the long-running prime time television soap opera Dallas, Linda Gray has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career as a film stage and television actress, director and producer, including a return to the show that made her famous with the generation-spanning reboot of Dallas in 2012.
Gray’s professional career began with modeling work and skyrocketed from there. She first graced the small screen with a guest-starring role on Marcus Welby, M.D., and went on to become a household name for her performance on Dallas. She also appeared as a guest-star on shows like The Bold and the Beautiful, Melrose Place, and Bonanza: The Return, but has forever remained in the hearts of Americans as Mrs. J.R. Ewing. Here’s a closer look at Gray’s iconic career, which continues to grow and evolve today for the septuagenarian superstar.
From Santa Monica to the Big D
Linda Ann Gray was born in Santa Monica, California on September 12, 1940 to parents Leslie and Marjorie. She grew up in Los Angeles County's Culver City, where her father owned a watchmaking shop. While her family was traditional, Gray had aspirations beyond becoming a wife and mother. “I’ve had an innate curiosity all my life and it started early on with my wonderful grandmother. There was a wanderlust about her. She had traveled and was very worldly, and I had a connection with her that I didn’t have with my mother,” says Gray.
Gray started modeling in her teens, but always had her mind set to act. “I remember telling my parents that I wanted to be an actor, and I thought their heads would spin off. So I started modeling,” she continues. Modeling soon led to television commercials, which led to Gray wanting more. But by then she had a new obstacle: She was married with two young children. Throughout her 20s, Gray continued to do television commercials to help support the family, but she still dreamed of being an actor. In her 30s she enrolled in an active workshop, and her career kicked into gear with small parts in feature films and guest roles on television shows.
Gray’s breakthrough role came when she was cast for a five-episode arc as former Miss Texas Sue Ellen Ewing on Dallas. Those five episodes grew into the role that made Gray a Hollywood legend and earned her multiple Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations. Even her time on Dallas was not without its share of challenges for the then 38-year-old mother. Reflects Gray, “When Dallas took off it was great for my career, but it was challenging to bridge that gap between being a mom at home and then away doing a big series. We filmed in the summer and the kids would come down with their friends, but because of the hours I was working I couldn’t be with them a lot and they resented it. I just did my best to keep everything together.”
New Chapters, New Chances
Dallas ran for more than a decade, during which Gray’s portrayal of the misunderstood and long-suffering Sue Ellen Ewing captivated audiences. Today she says of the role, “I felt that dhr was the most interesting female character on television during the 80s because nobody knew what she was going to do or how she was going to react. And most of the time I didn’t know. As an actor I would play a scene with Larry (Hagman) and we would both be just really on our mark. It was such great chemistry that he’d throw a ball to me and I thought, ‘Wow I didn’t expect that.’ And I’d throw another one back to him. But I think that’s what kept our characters magical and energized and interesting to watch as characters.”
While starring on Dallas, Gray became close friends with her co-stars, Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy. In 2012, they were reunited with the TNT reboot of the show, an opportunity reveled in by Gray. “It was so lovely–we got to play together. Larry, Patrick and I are like the Three Musketeers that’s what they used to call us. And we got to play together, work together and this time we all had to move to Dallas, Texas and get condominiums and get to do the role that we were kind of known for. So what could be better? It was kind of this wonderful, surreal, exciting, challenging time. And I knew that to play Sue Ellen was the most delicious of all characters and I loved her,” she enthuses.
In between the original Dallas and its continuation, Gray’s diverse acting career continued to boom, and she made a point to explore as many aspects of show business as possible -- from daytime soaps to theater on London’s West End. “I wanted to do a little bit of everything. When you do a variety of those things, you have great respect for every craft -- everyone in the industry," she asserts.
In addition to her professional career, Gray is also known for her philanthropy; she is a former United Nations’ Ambassador and has been a fixture on the Dallas area’s philanthropy circuit. “I love being involved in things that appeal to my heart," she says.
Today at 78, Gray speaks often of gratitude. “Every morning I write how grateful I am for anything and everything. I know it sounds silly, but I don’t care what people think. When you get to a certain age, you just smile and don’t care if people think you’re nuts. That’s the beauty of aging — you just let go of so much stuff. I think that keeps you young, too," she proposes.
Certainly, this open outlook has helped Gray continue to navigate the ups and downs of showbiz and her personal life -- all the while turning obstacles into opportunities. She also has no plans to retire anytime soon. Gray shares, “I feel like I’m entering chapter three of my life and it’s exciting. At the moment I’m producing a movie that takes place in Dallas. It’s great fun to be on that side of filmmaking. It’s a first for me.”
Gray is also a big believer in finding the beauty in every moment. “Life is for living right now. End of story."
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