Beloved “Dallas” actor Ted Shackelford was photographed in a rare public appearance in Los Angeles last week. In photos published by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, September 23, Shackelford was seen with a walker.
Ted Shackelford Seen in Rare Public Appearance at Age 80
For the occasion, Shackelford looked stylish yet casual in a blue T-shirt and a matching knitted cardigan. He completed his look with black trousers and black sneakers. At 80, Shackelford still looks very healthy.
Shackelford is beloved for his television roles, especially in soap operas. In addition to “Dallas,” in which he played the role of Gary Ewing, he also appeared on “Knots Landing,” “Young and the Restless” as William Bardwell, and “Space Precinct.” These days, the actor lives mostly out of the limelight, and his last acting credit, per IMDb, was in 2017 with an uncredited role in an episode of “NCIS.”
Ted Shackelford Discusses His Role on ‘Dallas’
GettyShackelford is best known for his role in “Dallas,” and he reprised his character for a guest role on TNT’s “Dallas,” years after the original. In an interview with Dallas Decoder in 2013, he was asked if he ever thought this would happen, to which he replied, “No. I did it for 14 years, and that’s a long, long time for anybody to do one character. I thought that would be it.”
He said it was not difficult to get back into the role, even after all that time. “There’s no magic here, man. I just learned the lines and showed up on time. It wasn’t that hard. It came back pretty fast,” he said. Acknowledging the publication’s comparison to how it was like getting on a bicycle, he said, “Yeah, that’s a pretty good description of it. A little wobbly at first but then it takes off.”
But did he like playing Ewing? Shackelford was clear that he did not. “Oh, I thought he was weak. I thought he never thought anything through,” he said. “I didn’t see any strength of character; I mean, just once I wanted him to have some courage. And I never saw that.”
Shackelford continued, addressing his character’s affection for beautiful women. “But having said all that, had he been stronger, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to play some of the things I played,” he said. “I had great material. It was great stuff. There were the drunk things, and then the mobster things, and I don’t know what else. Because he was the way he was, as an actor I got to play a lot of different colors, as they say.”
Ted Shackelford Shares Information About His Life
GettyIn a 1989 profile for the Chicago Tribune, the actor shared information about himself, including facts fans may not know, including his fantasy, which he described as: “Living on a 500-acre ranch with horses, some place where there are four seasons-living in California, I miss that-and just having a great time living.” Shackelford shared that if he had more time and money, he would love to travel more.
He also shared the moment he realized he was a “grownup,” saying the moment happened when he got “stopped by a cop who was young enough to be my son.” And that the best time of his life was right then, at the time of the interview. Speaking of why, he said, “I have a better appreciation of life, a better liking and understanding of myself, things are not so difficult as they once were, and I don’t fear life itself as much as I once did.”
