Larry was born in Fort Worth, Texas on September 21st, the son of actress Mary Martin and attorney Ben Hagman. When his parents divorced, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his grandmother. After his grandmother's death, Larry, who was only 12, returned to his mother, who had remarried and was pursuing a successful Broadway career. After a year at Bard College in Anandale-on-the-Hudson, New York, Larry decided to follow in his mother's theatrical footsteps. His first stage experience was with the Margo Jones Theatre-in-the-Round in Dallas. He next appeared in the New York City Center production of "Taming the Shrew," followed by a year in regional theater. Larry moved to England as a member of the cast of his mother's big stage hit, "South Pacific," and stayed for five years. There he joined the U.S. Air Force, where he produced and directed several shows for members of the service. While stationed in England, Larry met and married Maj (pronounced "My") Axelsson (December, 1954), a young Swedish designer who Larry insists is "the best thing that ever happened to me." After completing his military service, Larry returned to New York for a series of Broadway and off-Broadway plays, including "Once Around the Block," "Career," "Comes A Day," "A Priest in the House," "The Beauty Part," "The Warm Peninsula," "The Nervous Set," among others. His television experience began with various guest appearances on such shows as "The Alcoa Hour." He was then cast in the daytime series "The Edge of Night," in which he starred for 2 years. After eight years in New York, Larry decided to pack up his family - - which then included a daughter, Kristina Mary (2/17/58) and a son, Preston (5/2/62) - and moved to Hollywood. Larry became a true TV star in 1965 in the comedy series "I Dream of Jeannie," in which he played an amiable astronaut whose life is plagued by a beautiful blonde genie, portrayed by Barbara Eden. The show ran for 5 years. Afterwards, Larry continued his television success in "The Good Life" and "Here We Go Again," as well as a multitude of guest-starring roles on various series. He also starred with Lauren Bacall in the television version of the hit Broadway musical "Applause." It was not until 1977, when "Dallas" came along, however, that Larry's career took off. He credits 'Superchick' (his affectionate name for Maj) for persuading him to do the series. This saga of an excessively rich Texas family, was one of the boldest, brassiest, most talked-about shows ever and, Larry Hagman, as the despicable, corrupt, merciless, millionaire J.R. Ewing, the man everyone loved to hate, was its centerpiece. The series ran for an unprecedented 13 seasons (from 1978 - 1991) and the Who shot J.R.? episode remains the second highest rated TV show in the history of the medium. Since his name had become synonymous with Texas, it was fitting that he host "Lone Star," an eight-part documentary series on the history of Texas, for PBS. The series, which aired in the fall of 1985, celebrated the 150th anniversary of Texas as an independent republic. In April 1987, Karl-Lorimar released "Larry Hagman -- Stop Smoking for Life." Proceeds from the instructional home video went to the American Cancer Society. In November 1996, Larry starred in "Dallas: JR Returns", two-hour television movie which was a ratings blockbuster for CBS as well as in the network's one-hour, drama series "Orleans". His portrayal of Judge Luther Charbonnet garnered some of the best reviews of his career. During the 2006-2007 television series, Larry joined the FX series NIP/TUCK in the role of 'Burt Landu', a business executive, who wants some cosmetic surgery of an intimate nature. Off-screen, Larry is actively involved in numerous civic and philanthropic activities. An adamant non-smoker, Larry was chairperson of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout from 1981 to 1992. During the summer of 1996, Larry served as the National Spokesperson for the 1996 U.S. Transplant Games presented by the National Kidney Foundation and, on November 2nd, received the foundation's Public Service Award for his efforts in heightening public awareness of the importance of organ donation. He continues to serve as an advocate of organ donation and transplantation. Larry enjoys spending time with his family more than anything else. He and Maj live on a ranch in Ojai, California but also divide their time between a condo in Santa Monica, and a home in Santa Fe. They believe that life should be filled with happiness -- -- "Don't Worry, Be Happy, Feel Good" is the family motto. In 2006, Larry participated in the Love Ride 23 Harley Davidson Glendale, California. That year's event raised a record 1.7 million dollars for charities dedicated to improving the quality of life for those less fortunate. Visit them online at www.loveride.org. Larry, an avid Harley-hog, also enjoys fishing, traveling, and collecting hats and flags.

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