television

I loved this book...but I may be a little prejudiced, cuz I love Larry Hagman! I was lucky enough to have met him when he autographed my copy. I must say, he's very personable, not one bit stuck-up. He also signed my 1980's can of JR Beer and couldn't believe someone still had a full JR Beer from the 80's!!! A real genuine kind of guy...which I imagine is a little rare of such a long-time celebrity. I only regret his wife, Maj wasn't there...I'd have loved to meet her too. She must be SOME LADY to have put up with Larry all these 45+ years! If you want a good, funny, light-hearted read about some of Larry's antics thru his life, this is the book for you! My only negative about the book? I wish it had been longer...I couldn't put it down and finished it in two bedtime reads. THUMBS UP!

Larry Hagman's Autobiography, "Hello Darlin'" is not one of those bios of boring facts. It's an entertaining, hysterical at times, intelligent, and honest account of the guy we know as Major Nelson and/or J.R. It's really incredible all the experiences described here which are pretty much at the center of the acting world.

Larry's mother was Mary Martin (Peter Pan, Sound of Music, etc.) and we get good anecdotes about her and the hundred plus other stars Hagman lived his life with. From his early Broadway work with George C. Scott, his "Jeannie" years in which he did LSD with the likes of Peter Fonda to his experiences with neighbor Burgess Meredith and his trips to Eastern Europe where "Dallas" was a force that helped end communism.

Also covered is his drinking, his health problems, and his bouts of pre- and post- fame poverty, all delivered with good humor and a healthy outlook on life. And why not? He had a great one.

I do wish though the "Jeannie" years were covered more indepth as that was one of my favorite shows and really part of my consciousness. You'll finish the book feeling like you know Larry personally, and know he's someone of a lot more depth than his TV and movie characters.

With rumors abounding about the casting in the in-the-works big screen adaptation of the hit series "Dallas", I summit that the life of star Larry Hagman is more enticing than any episode of the landmark series.

Hagman, along with co-author Todd Gold, has written a thoroughly fascinating autobiography of a man that is a complex as any ever to be a Hollywood mainstay. Like his birthplace of Texas, Hagman is wide and vast and most intriguing. Telling of his beginnings as the offspring of Broadway legend Mary Martin and his lawyer-father, the actor reveals his many highs and lows in his ascent to the heights of iconic status.

He lets us in on his "experiments" with drugs, his "lean" years as a struggling actor, his marriage to his beloved Maj, his television successes (both "I Dream of Jeannie and "Dallas", as well as the many featured roles in big and small screen films), and his interactions with the famous and not-so-familiar.

With a wry wit and genuine humility, the star comes across as a man at peace with himself and so self-assured that he can alternately and honestly tell of his strengths and shortcomings.

He may have never won an award for his distinctive television characters but to his legion of fans, he is a winner.