‘Dallas’ Alum Linda Gray Says She’ll ‘Forever’ Keep the ‘Treasures’ Late Costar Larry Hagman Gave Her

Linda Gray still has some special items from her former onscreen husband, Larry Hagman.

While talking about her participation in an auction where she’s giving away memorabilia from the hit soap opera Dallas, the actress, 85, admitted it was “bittersweet” to part with certain items in a People interview published on Tuesday, August 11. However, Gray noted, “Everything that Larry gave me, I’ll keep forever.”

“That’s a non-issue. The things that he did give me are treasures, like the little notes he would send me,” Gray remarked of Hagman, who played J. R. Ewing opposite her character Sue Ellen Ewing. “He had such a great sense of humor, and he would send me funny little notes, and those are keepers.”

The two-time Golden Globe-nominated actress recalled Hagman — who passed away in 2012 at 81 years old — giving her one of his luxury watches as well.

“I think he was moving up in stature and finance, because he had a lot of money, and so he gave me an old Rolex watch that he was known to wear, and I received it,” she said. “I think it was maybe my birthday. I’m not quite sure when he gave it to me, but I have that. That’s a keeper.”

Gray also recounted working with Hagman, calling the I Dream of Jeannie alum her “favorite” scene partner, “because he became a sparring partner.”

“He also became the one I could laugh with and fight with and just have great acting. It was an acting class with Larry, just perfect. A theatrical love-hate relationship, that’s what it was,” she said, describing Hagman as “very charming and supportive.”