The actor, who was recreating his iconic JR Ewing role in a remake for TNT, had been battling cancer.

12:40PM EST November 24. 2012 - Actor Larry Hagman, 81, whom fans for decades confused with J.R. Ewing, the conniving character he so convincingly played on TV's Dallas, died Friday in the Texas city that made him a household name.
Hagman had been battling cancer for the past year, having announced his diagnosis just as he began work on the soap-opera reboot for TNT.
A statement released to the Dallas Morning News by the actor's family noted, "Larry's family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy.
Linda Gray, his on-screen wife and later ex-wife in the original series and the sequel, was among those with Hagman in his final moments, said her publicist, Jeffrey Lane.
"He brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented, and I will miss him enormously. He was an original and lived life to the fullest," the actress said.
In a statement, Warner Bros. and the new show's executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael Robin, said, "Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace." And the network called him "a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor"
Hagman relished the chance to reprise his best-known character. "Of course it's fun to play the villain," Hagman told USA TODAY in 2011 while filming an episode of the new Dallas, which returned to television earlier this year after a 20-year absence. "I don't understand why people love J.R. so much, but it's not just America, it's all over the place. France, England. Ireland. In Germany they have this amazing core of people who follow my career."