HispanicBusiness

Washington (dpa) - Larry Hagman, the actor who thrilled and reviled millions of TV viewers in the 1970s and 80s as the deceitful JR Ewing on Dallas, has died at age 81, his family said on his official website.

Hagman died at the Medical City hospital in Dallas, Texas, of complications from cancer.

"When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time," a family statement said.

The famous November 1980 Dallas episode that answered the burning question Who Shot JR? garnered a record 350 million viewers worldwide. Hagman had recently returned to the small screen to reprise the role of Ewing in an updated Dallas series earlier this year.

"Larry was back in his beloved Dallas re-enacting the iconic role he loved most," his family said.

Prior to Dallas, Hagman was well known for his role in I Dream of Jeannie, a TV series in which he played an astronaut who came into possession of a beautiful genie.

Hagman was born September 21, 1931, in Fort Worth, Texas, the son of actress Mary Martin. He began acting after a year of college, even directing and performing during a stint with the US Air Force.

Having admitted to being a heavy drinker, Hagman underwent a liver transplant in 1995 and went on to campaign against alcoholism.

An advocate of organ donations, solar energy and marijuana as an alternative to alcohol, his foundation works to promote art for disadvantaged children.