Fans of the 1980s primetime soap opera “Dallas” are in mourning this week after star Ken Kercheval, who played J.R. Ewing’s arch-rival Cliff Barnes on the show, passed away on Sunday night. He was 83 years-old.
Though he had 72 credits in television and film, Kercheval was best known for his role on “Dallas” and was one of only two actors to appear on the show during it’s entire thirteen year run from 1978-1991. He also appeared on the “Dallas” reboot back in 2012.
“He was one of those guys who was going to be the next James Dean,” David Jacobs, the creator of “Dallas,” said of Kercheval.
In a 2012 interview, Kercheval opened up about what it was like to play Cliff.
“J.R. was coming after my ass all the time, so I always had to defend myself. If I did something that wasn’t quite right, it’s because I had to,” he said. “From the very beginning, Cliff would always get defeated by J.R.”
“I thought as an actor, ‘How am I going to have an audience believe that this guy is not some imbecile who keeps coming back, [only] to get whipped?'” he continued. “I thought the only way is to add some humor to it, just to say, ‘Dust yourself off, get up and start all over again.'”
Kercheval said that he would always tell fans that Cliff was “finally going to get J.R. this Friday night.”
“Dallas” stars have been paying tribute to Kercheval on social media, with actress Audrey Landers writing, “You will always be in my heart.”
Rest in peace, Ken Kercheval!
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