Ted Shackelford – Exclusive Interview

DallasTVshow.com: Ted, welcome to DallasTVshow.com.

Ted Shackelford: Thank you.

DallasTVshow.com: It’s great to have you here with us. Obviously Dallas is back. Did you ever think that you would be coming back into this role again after all these years?

Ted: (laughs) No. I certainly never did.

DallasTVshow.com: Patrick Duffy calls it the gift that keeps on giving.

Ted: Apparently it is and with most gifts, you don’t look it in the mouth.

DallasTVshow.com: No, that’s true. It’s always been great seeing your work on television in your various roles. What actually brings Gary back to Dallas this time having been away for so long?

Ted: Without giving too much away, Bobby is trying to make Ewing Oil green I think and I own one third of it. He’s trying to get a voting block to stop JR and Sue Ellen from doing whatever it is they’re doing.

DallasTVshow.com: Sue Ellen is obviously turning into a female JR here it seems after the last episode, I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with them.

Ted: Actually, no I haven’t.

DallasTVshow.com: It’s interesting. I’ve heard that you don’t watch your stuff after you’ve done it. Is this true?

Ted: No, no. God no. I was barely on when I first started in television and I used to watch it and I reached a point where it was just counterproductive. I would watch it and I’d say “It’s just dumb. My God, why did I do that?” or “That’s not what I meant.” It was too frustrating. I don’t really do it for that. I do it for the immediacy of it, the feeling of it. That’s where I take my sustenance is from the actual doing of it. I don’t care about afterward.

DallasTVshow.com: It’s almost like the people who do stage productions. They get that live rush every night and it’s done.

Ted: I suppose so, it’s a different kind of rush for sure. You don’t have the live audience but it’s a certainly more intimate rush. I don’t know, it makes my life easier if I don’t have to watch it. I’m also slightly embarrassed by it.

DallasTVshow.com: (laughs) You get critical seeing yourself on the screen.

Ted: I do, yeah. Then I start thinking “Jesus, why did I ever work again after that scene? Why would anybody hire me?” It’s not good for me.

DallasTVshow.com: Was it easy getting back in that character after all these years?

Ted: Oh yeah. It was bicycle time. It’s like getting on a bike again.

DallasTVshow.com: What would you say Gary is like in 2013 from what you can gauge?

Ted: He’s wiser but sometimes stupid in other ways. Not much has changed with him! You know what they say. The older you get, the more you become who you are. I would say that’s pretty much where he is. He hasn’t changed much at all.

DallasTVshow.com: His character was driven off by JR and Jock, and now unfortunately both of them are gone leaving Gary as the oldest now and when you lose a sibling facing your own mortality. Is there an opportunity for Gary to step back in a little more after these episodes the way they left it?

Ted: That’s a good question. Yeah, they could always do that. It’s television for God’s sake. It doesn’t have to make a lot of sense, just a little bit of sense.

DallasTVshow.com: Obviously Bobby would be another sibling dynamic having JR out of the picture. How does Gary react to JR’s death? I know they had a difficult relationship.

Ted: It’s kind of an interesting reaction actually. Yes, it was a very acrimonious relationship and Gary’s reaction is “I spent my whole life hating him and now I don’t know how to feel.” I think he’s kind of thunderstruck. It’s like if you have an enemy for a long time and you spend a lot of energy on that enemy, and all of a sudden that entity is gone, what do you do with that energy? You’re just kind of left standing around saying “What happened?”

DallasTVshow.com: What was it like shooting the memorial episode? I was actually down at Southfork that day and just missed everyone coming back from the park.

Ted: It was really cold to begin with and then it warmed up. It was acting with reality intruding in a very ugly way because the character is dead as was the real actor so it was interesting.

DallasTVshow.com: You’re back together with Joan of course and Charlene. Joan actually said she was down by the set that day and wanted to pop up from behind the bushes like Jimmy Kimmel in the middle of the funeral take.

Ted: I know, she told me that. (laughs)

DallasTVshow.com: Joan said she prepares a collage when she takes on a role. Do you have any specific approach for getting into a character like Gary?

Ted: I learn the words, I find out where they want me to be, I find out what time they want me to be there, and I show up.

Ted: That’s it.

DallasTVshow.com: What memories do you have of Larry Hagman and working with him?

Ted: I didn’t have very many scenes with Larry. It seems like most of my scenes were with Patrick or Barbara Bel Geddes. I would see Larry occasionally. I ran into him a couple of years ago at one of those autograph things where they hire a big hall and you have every has-been that ever was. We were there—me and Joan and Donna and the show. Larry was there as well; he was in a different part. We talked a bit then. It was great to see him. He looked good, he was happy. He was always very positive. I remember that. Given what he had been through, it’s extraordinary that he could remain that positive. I’ve said this before, it’s becoming a little trite, but it’s true nonetheless—whenever I would run into him after the shows were over, I always walked away feeling better about myself. It’s the good thing about people with true charisma. When you talk to them, you’re the only other person in the room, and he was able to focus like that. He made you feel special I guess.

DallasTVshow.com: You mentioned Barbara. What do you remember of Barbara?

Ted: A tiny little woman that smoked Now cigarettes and swore like a sailor.

Ted: We’re talking about Barbara Bel Geddes, one of the first ladies of American theatre. She was fabulous, she was great. Kind of quiet….not timid, I wouldn’t say that. Very pleasant, very nice.

DallasTVshow.com: What was it like connecting with Patrick and working with Linda this time around?

Ted: With Patrick it was the same, it was like Gary and Bobby. It was nice, very comfortable. Linda—I never really had any scenes with her, but I had some pretty good scenes with her in this go-round. She’s really pleasant. She’s such a joy to be around and to work with and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. One of the nicest and loveliest people I’ve ever met. She’s just a joy to be around.

DallasTVshow.com: We’ve heard rumors of a connection between Gary and Sue Ellen. Anything you can say about that at all?

Ted: We don’t take our clothes off, I can tell you that.

DallasTVshow.com: Okay.

Ted: America’s not ready for that at this age.

DallasTVshow.com: Some have heard that Gary and Val are having problems at the time you come back.

Ted: Yeah, they’re separated actually.

DallasTVshow.com: Did you have many scenes with Joan and Charlene when they were on this go-round?

Ted: I actually didn’t have a scene with Charlene although she was there. I didn’t have any words with her I don’t think. You’d think I’d be able to remember but I have to tell you I was so f***ing sick when I did this thing I could barely stand up. My memory is a little faulty. I had some kind of sinus thing that I still have, I might add. I only had one scene with Joanie.

DallasTVshow.com: What are your impressions of the new cast?

Ted: Actually, the first scene I had was with Josh. That’s the day I was the sickest (laughs). I was trying to get through the day. He was delightful, very professional, knew his words. We didn’t mess around. It was a joy. He gave as good as he got. I didn’t have any scenes with any of the other cast besides Josh, Patrick, and Linda.

DallasTVshow.com: Did you have reservations when they asked you back?

Ted: Oh no, no.

DallasTVshow.com: And you’d come back if they wanted more from you?

Ted: In a heartbeat. Of course I would. Wouldn’t you?

DallasTVshow.com: Will Knots Landing fans be happy with where Gary and Val are left at the end of this arc?

Ted: I don’t know. That’s a good question. Joanie and I were talking about that. It’s kind of semi-resolved at the end. I don’t know. She calls it a button. There was a button put on our relationship.

DallasTVshow.com: Obviously people saying with the success of Dallas, would Knots Landing come back? Would you want to be involved if it were to come up?

Ted: In half a heartbeat. Absolutely.

DallasTVshow.com: In one other interview, you mentioned that Gary was very weak and lacked courage. What did you mean by that and what would make him a courageous character?

Ted: I always felt like he didn’t have strength of character. He gave into his impulses too much. He didn’t fight some of those things that would’ve made him a stronger character. I thought he was weak—a person of weak character. I think eventually he became stronger but he was easily manipulated because his feelings moved right into his brain and had he had strength of character and didn’t let his feelings in—well, I wouldn’t have a job because I’d have nothing to play, so I’m eternally grateful that he was weak of character because he gave me a lot of things to play and a lot of mischief to get into. It was great fun.

DallasTVshow.com: Did you get to work with Cynthia Cidre?

Ted: I met her and talked to her a few times. I didn’t really get any working interaction with her. She’s a very nice woman. I can tell you from her writing that she certainly knows what she’s doing. That’s for damn sure. I think she has great respect for the characters, at least for my character because she didn’t have me doing anything ridiculous that my character would never do. What she wrote for me was Gary. She’s obviously done her homework and she knows what she’s about. The show is in very good hands and the script I had was wonderful. I thought it was very good. I was pleasantly surprised.

DallasTVshow.com: We want to thank you for taking the time to join us and the fans for submitting all of these questions. Do you have any messages for the fans of Dallas and Knots Landing?

Ted: It’s been delightful, I’ve enjoyed it. And thank you, thank you, thank you for all the years of watching and being so loyal. If they can get up a petition to get Knots on the UK CBS, maybe they can do the same here! (laughs)

Editor: Transcribed by Melanie Joy