{"id":2480924,"date":"2026-06-29T19:41:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T19:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2480924"},"modified":"2026-06-29T19:41:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T19:41:22","slug":"linda-gray-recalls-meeting-larry-hagman-on-first-day-on-dallas-set-oh-dear-i-have-a-crush-on-major-nelson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/linda-gray-recalls-meeting-larry-hagman-on-first-day-on-dallas-set-oh-dear-i-have-a-crush-on-major-nelson\/","title":{"rendered":"Linda Gray Recalls Meeting Larry Hagman on First Day on \u201cDallas\u201d Set: &#8216;Oh Dear, I Have a Crush on Major Nelson&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Linda Gray recalls meeting Larry Hagman on the <em>Dallas<\/em> set, where he arrived with champagne and ice-filled saddlebags<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Gray admitted to having a crush on Hagman, whom she recognized as Major Nelson from <em>I Dream of Jeannie<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hagman was known for practical jokes on set, as Gray earlier shared<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/home\/dallas-star-linda-gray-gives-tour-of-california-home-she-is-selling-for-2-9-million\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Linda Gray;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Linda Gray&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Linda Gray<\/a> is opening up about her first meeting with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/larry-hagman\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Larry Hagman;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Larry Hagman&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Larry Hagman<\/a> on the set of <em>Dallas.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hagman \u2014 who <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tv\/larry-hagman-dies\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:died in 2012 at the age of 81;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;died in 2012 at the age of 81&quot;}\" class=\"link \">died in 2012 at the age of 81<\/a> \u2014 played J.R. Ewing on\u00a0<em>Dallas<\/em>\u00a0for 14 seasons alongside Gray, who played Sue Ellen Ewing, his character&#8217;s long-suffering wife.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In a. recent interview with the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KwvvwDm5c8I\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Celebrity Drop;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Celebrity Drop&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Celebrity Drop<\/em><\/a> podcast, 85-year-old Gray shared that the first time she met Hagman, he had &#8220;saddle bags over his shoulder filled with ice and a bottle of champagne.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE&#8217;s <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:free daily newsletter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;free daily newsletter&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><strong>free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a><strong> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Studio Publicity Still from Dallas Larry Hagman, Linda Gray<br \/>Credit: PictureLux\/Alamy<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;And we were all in this room, the entire cast,&#8221; Gray added. &#8220;Nobody knew who we were. We were actors, unemployed actors that just got a job. And so we were all crammed together in this little room.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She continued: &#8220;And Larry looked at me and he said, &#8216;Hello, darling.&#8217; And I thought, &#8216;Oh, this is trouble. This is trouble.&#8217; &#8220;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;And I remember looking around the room in shock because there was Mr. Hagman, who is also Major Nelson,&#8221; Gray added, referring to the character Hagman played in the 1960s sitcom <em>I Dream of Jeannie<\/em>. &#8220;And I thought, &#8216;Oh dear, I have a crush on Major Nelson.&#8217; And now he&#8217;s here in front of me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-puzzler-8620185\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><strong>The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Gray has previously spoken about her close relation ship with Hagman, saying in a 2025 episode of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/thats-classic\/id1533742435\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:That's Classic;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;That'&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>That&#8217;s Classic<\/em><\/a>\u00a0podcast that the late actor would play practical jokes when it came time to lock lips while filming the series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;He would do things like eat an onion before a kissing scene with me,&#8221; Gray recounted. &#8220;Like, &#8216;Oh, great, Larry. Thanks.&#8217; &#8220;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She continued: &#8220;And then he would eat peanut butter&#8230; and I had to keep straight.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After starring as Sue Ellen Ewing on the drama for over a decade on CBS, Gray reprised the role for the show&#8217;s 2012 reboot on TNT.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/linda-gray-recalls-meeting-larry-hagman-on-first-day-on-dallas-set-12008522\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:People;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;People&quot;}\" class=\"link \">People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEED TO KNOW Linda Gray recalls meeting Larry Hagman on the Dallas set, where he arrived with champagne and ice-filled saddlebags Gray admitted to having a crush on Hagman, whom she recognized as Major Nelson from I Dream of Jeannie Hagman was known for practical jokes on set, as Gray earlier shared Linda Gray is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2480925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[353999,340071,488379,488380,488382,488381],"class_list":["post-2480924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-i-dream-of-jeannie","tag-larry-hagman","tag-linda-gray","tag-major-nelson","tag-practical-jokes","tag-sue-ellen-ewing"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Linda-Gray-Recalls-Meeting-Larry-Hagman-on-First-Day-on.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2480924"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2480926,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480924\/revisions\/2480926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2480925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2480924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2480924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2480924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}