Cast and characters

Main cast

The original Ewing family.
From left: Ray Krebbs, Bobby Ewing, Pamela Barnes Ewing, Miss Ellie Ewing, Jock Ewing, Lucy Ewing, J. R. Ewing and Sue Ellen Ewing.

For the original five-episodes miniseries (season 1) six actors received the star billing: Barbara Bel Geddes as Ewing matriarch Miss Ellie Ewing, whose family was the original owners of Southfork; Jim Davis as her husband Jock Ewing, the founder of Ewing Oil and head of the Ewing family; Patrick Duffy as their youngest son, heartthrob Bobby Ewing; Victoria Principal as Pamela Barnes Ewing, the daughter of the rivaling Barnes family, whom Bobby brings home as his wife in the pilot episode; Larry Hagman as J. R. Ewing, the oldest son, who strongly objects to his new sister-in-law; and Charlene Tilton as Lucy Ewing, Bobby's and J.R.'s saucy teenage niece, whose parents had been driven off the ranch by J.R.
Not receiving top billing during season 1, although appearing in the majority of the episodes were Linda Gray as J.R.'s long-suffering, alcoholic wife Sue Ellen Ewing; Steve Kanaly as ranch hand Ray Krebbs, Pam's ex, who eventually turned out to be Jock's illegitimate son; and Ken Kercheval as Pam's brother Cliff Barnes, J.R.'s archrival. Gray and Kanaly were promoted to the regular cast as of the first episode of season 2, and Kercheval as of the first episode of season 3. David Wayne received special guest star billing as Willard "Digger" Barnes.
Further on in the series, several new characters were added, as the original actors departed the series:
For season 5, after guest starring since season 2, Susan Howard joined the main cast as Donna Culver Krebbs, politician and widow of a former Texas governor, who becomes Ray's first wife and mother to his daughter Margaret.
Season 8 saw the addition of musical actor Howard Keel as wealthy, and sometimes hot-tempered rancher Clayton Farlow, Miss Ellie's husband following Jock's death, to the star cast after having appeared on the show since season 4, and Priscilla Presley as Bobby's teenage sweetheart Jenna Wade, who gives birth to Bobby's only biological child, Lucas, and eventually becomes Ray's second wife. Keel had recurred on the show since season 4, and Presley since season 7 (the character of Jenna had however been played by Morgan Fairchild for a season 2 episode, and Francine Tacker for two episodes in season 3). Temporarily replacing Barbara Bel Geddes in the role as Miss Ellie, Donna Reed also joined the main cast during season 8, until Bel Geddes returned in the following year.
Dack Rambo, portraying wandering cousin Jack Ewing, was promoted to regular status for season 10, after having appeared as a guest star since the end of season 8. He was, however, written out of the show midway through the tenth season. Jack's ex-wife April Stevens Ewing, played by Sheree J. Wilson, first appeared as a guest star during seasons 10 and 11, before being promoted to a main character for season 12. Originally a scheming character, April eventually became Bobby's second wife, after his divorce from Pam.
Season 13 saw several additions to the main cast: Academy Award winner George Kennedy as Carter McKay, who buys Ray's ranch after Ray and Jenna move to Switzerland, and eventually becomes the head of Ewing Oil rival WestStar; Cathy Podewell as the young, naïve, Cally Harper, who becomes J.R.'s second wife; Sasha Mitchell as J.R.'s illegitimate, first born, son, James Beaumont; Kimberly Foster as April's devious sister Michelle Stevens, who marries both James and Cliff Barnes; and finally Lesley-Anne Down as PR woman Stephanie Rogers. While Kennedy and Podewell had appeared as guest stars throughout the twelfth season, Mitchell, Foster and Down's characters were all new to the series when they joined the regular cast.
Finally, for the fourteenth and final season, after guest starring in the last episodes of season 13, Barbara Stock joined the cast as Cliff's fiancée Liz Adams.

Supporting cast

The Barnes-Wentworth family.
Clockwise from top right: Cliff Barnes, Pamela Barnes Ewing, Rebecca Barnes Wentworth, and Katherine Wentworth.

During its fourteen-year run, Dallas saw several actors appearing in supporting roles. Among the most notable are Mary Crosby (seasons 3–4 and 14) as Sue Ellen's scheming sister Kristin Shepard (also portrayed by Colleen Camp for two season 2 episodes), who has an affair with J.R. and is revealed to be the one who shot J.R. in the "Who shot J. R.?" storyline; Jared Martin (seasons 3–6, 8–9, and 14) as Sue Ellen's cowboy lover, and Clayton's foster son, Steven "Dusty" Farlow; Leigh McCloskey (seasons 4–5, 8 and 12) as medical student Mitch Cooper, Lucy's husband; Audrey Landers (seasons 4–8 and 12–13) as Mitch's sister Afton Cooper, an aspiring singer and Cliff's longtime fiancée; stage actress Priscilla Pointer (seasons 4–6) as Rebecca Barnes Wentworth, Pam's and Cliff's estranged mother; Morgan Brittany (seasons 5–8 and 11) as Rebecca's daughter, Katherine Wentworth, Cliff's and Pam's crazy half-sister who falls madly in love with Bobby; John Beck (seasons 6–7 and 9) as Mark Graison, Pam's beau after her first divorce from Bobby; Miss USA winner Deborah Shelton (seasons 8–10) as model Mandy Winger, longtime mistress of J.R.; Jenilee Harrison (seasons 8–10) as Jack Ewing's sister and Cliff's wife Jamie Ewing Barnes; and Andrew Stevens (seasons 11–12) as Casey Denault, a young hustler who works for J.R., romancing Lucy in order to get to her money.
Long-time child characters include J.R.'s and Sue Ellen's son John Ross Ewing III (portrayed for seasons 4–6 by Tyler Banks, and for seasons 7–14 by Omri Katz); Bobby's and Pam's adopted son Christopher Ewing (portrayed by Eric Farlow for seasons 6–8, and by Joshua Harris for seasons 9–14), and Jenna's daughter Charlotte "Charlie" Wade (Shalane McCall, seasons 7–11, also played by Laurie Lynn Myers for a season 2 episode).
Among the most frequently appearing business associates of the Ewing family are oil cartel members Jordan Lee (Don Starr, seasons 2–14), Marilee Stone (Fern Fitzgerald, seasons 2–13) and Andy Bradley (Paul Sorensen, seasons 2–10); Jock's good friend Marvin "Punk" Anderson (Morgan Woodward, seasons 4–11); Shady investment banker Vaughn Leland (Dennis Patrick seasons 3–6) and original WestStar Oil frontman Jeremy Wendell (William Smithers, seasons 4–5, 8–12). Other long-time Ewing acquaintances include Dallas PD detective Harry McSween, serving as J.R.'s source within police force (James Brown, seasons 2–12); family attorney Harv Smithfield (George O. Petrie, seasons 3–14); and Donna's stepson, U.S. Senator Dave Culver (Tom Fuccello, seasons 3–6, 8, 10–11 and 13–14).
Also appearing in many episodes are several background characters, including Bobby's secretaries Connie Brasher (portrayed by Donna Bullock in season 1, Ann Ford and Nancy Bleier in season 2, and Jeanna Michaels in season 2–4) and Phyllis Wapner (Deborah Tranelli, seasons 4–14); J.R.'s secretaries Louella Caraway Lee (Meg Gallagher, seasons 2–4) and Sly Lovegren (Deborah Rennard, seasons 5–14); Cliff's secretary Jackie Dugan (Sherril Lynn Rettino, seasons 2–5 and 7–14); Ewing Oil receptionist Kendall Chapman (Danone Simpson, seasons 6–14); Southfork maid Teresa (Roseanna Christiansen, seasons 6–14); and Oil Baron's Club staff Dora Mae (Pat Colbert, seasons 7–14), Cassie (Anne C. Lucas, seasons 5–10) and Debbie (Deborah Marie Taylor, seasons 11–14). The most well known supporting actor (at the time) was Tina Louise, who played J.R.'s secretary, Julie Grey, during the 1978–79 seasons. Her character was eventually killed off.