February 20,
2004
On November
21, 1980 the world discovered the answer to an eight-month whodunit, the secret
of Who Shot J.R.? An unfathomable 76%
of Americans watching television that night learned at 10:54 p.m. that J.R.’s
sister-in-law Kristin (Mary Crosby) pulled the trigger. Crosby, who already had built-in celebrity
as the daughter of Bing Crosby, one of the 20th Century’s greatest
recording artists, became the “flavor of the minute,” and rode that acclaim to
over 20 years in film and television.
Crosby spoke to Ultimate Dallas from her home in Malibu.
Arthur Swift:
How did you get to be on Dallas?
Mary Crosby:
I actually love the story of how I got there. The producers were replacing Colleen Camp, who I actually know,
and I tried out with the rest of L.A.
Now I don’t watch TV, I read books, so I didn’t know the show. They were interested in me but were worried
that since I was Bing’s (Crosby) daughter, White
Christmas, Minute Maid Orange Juice, that the general public wouldn’t buy
it. But they took a chance on me
anyway.
AS: Why did they
replace Colleen Camp?
Mary Crosby: I don’t really know. It’s maybe not that she wasn’t good but that
she wasn’t right for the part as they saw it develop. Dallas was not a hot show, so for everyone it was just another
audition. For me to get on Dallas at
that particular time, though, it was extraordinary.
AS: When you started
on the show in 1979 the ratings were average and within a season’s time it was
the number one show in the country.
What was it like to witness the transformation?
Mary Crosby:
At the time I remember the big thing was “Hey, we broke a 29 share, this
is great.” In retrospect I wasn’t
seeing the changes that the audience was probably seeing.
AS: Did you have any
sense that the show was becoming a smash?
Mary Crosby:
Now that I think of it, yes.
When I was shooting Dallas the show didn’t have any money. Because they had no money we shot the exteriors
in Dallas for 13 shows in a row. Then
we went back to MGM in L.A. and shot the rest, so there was really no episode
12 or episode 13 because it was all done out of order. But when we got back to L.A. we knew
something extraordinary was happening.
That was when we broke the 29 share and things started to change.
AS: Let me back up
before Dallas. Is it true that you
attended the University of Texas early?
Mary Crosby:
Yes, I went when I was 15. My
Mom taught me to read when I was 3. And
I had enough credits to graduate high school when I was 15. It really wasn’t
hard, actually; you just had to double up.
I went to UT and became a drama major.
I found pretty soon that I didn’t want to build sets, which is what you
do as a drama major, but that I just wanted to act. So I left there after a year and became the youngest person
accepted at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Bill Ball ran it; it was amazing. Certain places have their time, and I was
there when ACT was having its moment. I
studied Transcendental Meditation and some other great subjects.
AS: How long were
you there?
Mary Crosby:
1 ½ years. Then my father died
and I moved to Los Angeles.
AS: Why did you
choose the University of Texas?
Mary Crosby:
It was my mother’s alma mater.
It was that simple. I can say
now that I absolutely did not plumb its riches when I was there, but I was very
young. Also back in those days I don’t
think UT was what it is now. Austin
hadn’t gotten as hot as it did. But
there was no way my parents were going to let me go away anywhere else. At least they knew what they were getting
with Texas.
AS: So you didn’t
like the high school experience? I
would think you would enjoy that time.
Mary Crosby:
Yeah, I guess you’d think I was a cheerleader or something but I was
kind of one of those outsiders. I was a
hopeless tomboy who likes to read.
Still am. I’m not anything like
I am on TV.
The experience
that had the most impact on my education was when I was 13 and lived with a
family in Mexico for six months. This
was a family with seven kids and I learned so much. I went because I was driving my mother crazy. (Laughs)
AS: Where did you
live growing up?
Mary Crosby:
Outside San Francisco, a town called Hillsborough.
AS: Let’s take some
questions from the many Dallas fans across the globe…
Chad from New York asks
I recently found a photo of Mary Martin and Bing Crosby posing together, in
about the 1940's.... Did you know Larry Hagman prior to your role on Dallas?
Thanks!
Mary Crosby:
You can tell Chad this story. I
was hired on Dallas and hadn’t met anybody.
My first day of shooting we shot at Southfork, which is not nearly as
big as it appears to be on TV. Anyway,
I’m on my way there in the van with Larry and Linda (Gray) and I’m talking to
Larry. And he’s saying, “My Mom is an
actress and my father was a cowboy.” He said that he thought he was going to be
a cowboy but after a week on the ranch he said to himself, “That’s a heck of a
lot of work. Maybe I should try acting.”
So I’m there
thinking, (sarcastically) “Oh how great!
You did community theatre with your Mom.” I asked him what show did he do and he said, “Annie Get Your
Gun,” all the while thinking its in Podunkville somewhere. I asked him where he did it and he said,
“Broadway,” and I said, “Oh my God, you’re one too!” I was so shocked when Larry said that. I had no idea that his mother was famous.
AS: I wonder if Linda felt left out while you reminisced
about your famous parents.
Mary Crosby: (Laughing) I think she was very
amused. Linda has no problem with
feeling left out or showing self-confidence in any situation.
Ashley Phipps from Julian, North
Carolina asks
Mary, I've watched and adored you on Dallas ever since I was a little girl.
What drew you to the character of Kristin Shepard -- what was your
favorite part about her?
Mary Crosby:
That sounds like a typical Southern name. I was happy to have any job at that point. But that was the first bad lady, the first
vixen I played, so that was appealing.
I learned so much from Larry and Maj (Hagman); they taught me how to
have fun and play the part with relish.
It was a joy, and as an actress, sometimes playing the further away from
what you are can be the most satisfying.
Larry became a teacher for me and helped me see through things I didn’t
want to do as Kristin.
AS: What didn’t you
like?
Mary Crosby:
Some of the sexuality. I
remember there was one time when I talked to the director, whose name was
Irving, and I said, “Irving, I can’t do this!”
It was written that Larry grabbed me on the ass. But Larry took me aside and said, “If you
have a problem, come to me instead and I will fix it.” He talked to Irving and it was changed to me
wearing a backless dress and Larry running his hand down my back and I arched
it. That was much more sexy than the
way it was written.
Jamie from Germany asks
I liked Kristen’s connection to Alan at the end of season 2. I think the two
would have been a great couple! What do you think?
Mary Crosby: I just know he was a really nice guy
and a good actor. Later in that season
there were so many red herrings to keep you guessing as to who had done the
deed. But a relationship would have
been possible.
Hafsteinn from Iceland asks
Was it always clear from the beginning that the character you played, Kristin,
would be taken out of the series at a particular time, or did you want to
continue acting in Dallas?
Mary Crosby: I’m of two minds on that
question. I was originally hired for
five shows only, but the producers and public liked me and I stayed on. However, I was sad to leave Dallas. I knew that J.R. needed many, many
mistresses so my future on the show was probably limited at best. But it was wonderful to be there; for actors
if they like it, it becomes a family and I loved the security of the
family. Kristin is the only character I
played that I was really able to develop.
AS: That brings us
up to the worldwide phenomenon that was “Who Shot J.R.?” Let me get right into the events of that
remarkable year. When the two
additional shows were ordered for the end of the season, did you know something
big was about to happen?
Mary Crosby:
Yes. I knew that the two new
shows were ordered and that was because the ratings had gotten so high. One thing that I also know is that there
were multiple reasons for shooting J.R.
Contract negotiations were a big thing and they weren’t sure they were
going to take off the bandages. They
were actually thinking of replacing Larry but I think they realized that he was
the heart and soul of the show and that would have been a big mistake. It was just their show of power. Unfortunately I wasn’t let in on much of the
decision-making. Larry knew a lot,
Linda knew a lot, Patrick (Duffy) knew what was going on, Victoria (Principal)
and even Charlene (Tilton) probably were privy to things, but not me.
AS: Was there any
secrecy regarding the decision to shoot J.R. in the final episode?
Mary Crosby: I didn’t know any secrecy. I think we all knew, once those new episodes
were ordered, that J.R. was going to get shot.
No secrecy there. What was
interesting, and even comical, was how they lined everybody up to shoot J.R.,
one by one. It was like holding a
ticket; your turn was called and you shot him. The camera didn’t move and we
all went through the revolving door
AS: Were all of
these shots done after the hiatus that season?
Mary Crosby:
No it was done before the hiatus.
And that year the hiatus was really long because there was an actors’
strike.
AS: Did anyone know who shot J.R. that summer?
Mary Crosby:
Theoretically, no one knew. But
I started getting these little hints from people like, “Make sure you have a
good publicist” and things of that nature.
After hearing some of these things I was pretty sure it was I.
AS: Who told you
this?
Mary Crosby: Unnamed people.
AS: Did you see any
evidence of the mania that was occurring that summer?
Mary Crosby:
I was filming a miniseries in England and the English are so funny with
betting. Everyone bets there, it
seems. I was offered $1 million to
reveal whether I was the shooter or not.
This was from a guy who sold munitions to a third world country. It really freaked me out, actually. I’d be a block of cement at the bottom of
the ocean if it weren’t me. (Laughs)
AS: So even though
you thought it was you, you were able to keep a secret?
Mary Crosby:
I’m Irish. There are two ways
you can go: you’re either secretive or you tell all. (Laughs loudly).
AS: And what about
the non-Irish cast members? How did
they keep the secret so well?
Mary Crosby:
I don’t think they were getting the hints that I was getting. But then again, I don’t really know. People just were smiling and not saying a
word. And the thing is, if it had come
out it was I, then it wouldn’t have been me.
That was the beauty of it. They
could have changed who the shooter was at any time. It could have been Victoria or Linda at the last minute.
AS: I guess you
already answered this question but Pauline
from Glasgow, Scotland had asked
Who did you
think shot JR?
Mary Crosby: Me!
AS: When you started
to get these hints were they close to the beginning of the new season then?
Mary Crosby:
No it was before the hiatus.
AS: That is
amazing. Did you tell anyone at all?
Mary Crosby:
I was married at the time so I may have hinted to my husband that the
potential was there … But I never said I thought it was me or the hints I was
getting. Remember, we all really wanted
the show to work. There was an
innocence there, like we were at the beginning of something special so nobody
wanted to mess that up. It’s all about
how the contracts went; if Linda hadn’t been willing to accept a certain
salary, then she would have done it. It
didn’t serve anybody to open up about it.
The way it would work is if we all kept quiet. (Pausing) It was a bit of a miracle that it didn’t come out,
though. The way Hollywood works, it was
a miracle.
AS: Funny you should
say that word because I saw the movie “Miracle” (about the 1980 USA Olympic hockey
team) last night.
Mary Crosby:
I was thinking of seeing that.
How was it?
AS: Surprisingly
good. Kurt Russell has never had a
better role and the story stays suspenseful throughout.
Mary Crosby:
Really? I’m glad to hear
it. At first I thought, “This looks
interesting, but it’s about hockey, so I don’t know.” Then I realized it was probably more than a hockey movie.
AS: It is more. They were very smart in placing the film
into the backdrop of what was happening politically at the time. And last night when I was preparing to speak
with you, I thought about how this all took place in 1980 and the “Who Shot
J.R.?” phenomenon happened later that same year.
Mary Crosby:
I didn’t realize that, but you’re right. That was an eventful year all right.
AS: The “miracle on
ice” happened in February of ’80 and J.R. was shot the next month. Throughout the whole year the hostage crisis
and Afghanistan and all the upheaval continued and you were right in the middle
of a worldwide cultural sensation.
Mary Crosby:
I definitely want to see that movie now. It was quite a year for all of us.
Sarah B from Belfast, Northern Ireland asks
Hi Mary...When you found out that it was Kristin who shot JR, did you have to
keep it a secret from your friends and family for very long? Many thanks,
Sarah.
Mary Crosby:
I really didn’t know for sure until literally the last hour, so I guess
no, I didn’t have to keep it a secret. (Laughs) They filmed a bunch of people doing it that it could have been
anyone. A scene revealing it was Alan
was filmed.
AS: Do you mean “the
revolving door” of shooters or scenes where other people confessed?
Mary Crosby:
I mean when people confessed.
Those scenes were all shot, too.
I knew I had filmed my scene but Linda and Victoria had as well.
AS: Victoria? I didn’t think Pam was considered a suspect.
Mary Crosby:
Yes, she was one of the main ones from what I remember.
Sean Dougherty from Los Angeles asks
Were you disappointed to be written off of Dallas just as it was entering its
glory days and became the number 1 show on TV?
Mary Crosby: I was disappointed to be leaving
because it was a family. Face it; I’m a
trivia question. I wasn’t one of the
main stars so it didn’t bother me as much that it was going to number one. The loss was more of a personal one and not
a professional one. I was the flavor of
the minute and I wasn’t having a problem finding work at that point. My choices were atrocious, but I did have a
lot of them.
AS: What did you do
immediately after?
Mary Crosby:
I did a Knots Landing, a miniseries in England.
AS: The Knots
Landing episode was an interesting one, holding on to the character of Kristin.
Mary Crosby:
The Knots Landing made sense for them.
I was a little helpful to them and it got good ratings.
Steven Hall from Barrackville, West
Virginia USA asks
Hi Ms. Crosby!
My question concerns the first Dallas cliffhanger that I ever experienced and
what really hooked me on the show. (I'm only 21, so it was in reruns of course)
I was wondering if you were told that your character was going to be the dead
body in the Southfork pool at the end of the 1980-81 season or if were you led
to believe that Kristin might come back to Dallas on a regular basis in the
1981-82 season? I think it’s a great cliffhanger, but I was disappointed to see
such a great character get written out so early in the series. Thanks for
taking time to answer my question.
Mary Crosby: Only 21? Boy, do I feel old. I was
disappointed that they weren’t bringing me back for longer but I did know that
I was going to be the body in the pool.
I was hired for three episodes so it was pretty clear. Then again, if it didn’t work out with Linda
and Victoria, one of them could have been in the pool as well.
AS: I don’t
understand how it works with contracts.
You said before that Linda or Victoria could have been the one to shoot
J.R. Presumably their contracts worked
out because they stayed on the show. Why were they in jeopardy only a year
later? Didn’t they have contracts?
Mary Crosby:
They did have contracts but every season you renegotiate for the next
season to try to get more money.
Everyone did that and it was up to him or her and the show to come up
with something acceptable. So if it
doesn’t work out, they have the option of writing you out.
E. Vakulskas from Sioux City, Iowa asks
Why were the details of how you died on the show never shown and supposedly
what WERE the details of your death?
Mary Crosby:
It was left murky. It was either
falling off the balcony due to drugs or a murder. They never really explained it.
AS: Was that because
they flubbed or they wanted to keep the story open?
Mary Crosby:
They just moved on, I think. I
don’t think anyone in production gave attention to detail like the fans
did. It didn’t matter as much to them
in story continuity I don’t think.
Sal from New York, NY asks
I enjoyed watching you play Kristen on Dallas and I think you played the role
extremely well. My question is do you think your father would have enjoyed the
role you played?
Mary Crosby:
I think honestly if my Dad were alive I wouldn’t have gotten the
role. I couldn’t have gotten cast. My father was so representative of
old-fashioned values. I’m avoiding the
question, I know. I think as an actor
himself my Dad would have been tickled at how good I was and as a father would
have been pretty furious. It’s a good question.
Jessi from California asks
Hello Mary. I think you did a wonderful job playing Kristen. My question is:
Had not Kristen been the one to shoot JR, do you think she would've stayed with
Dallas the entire run? And if so, do you think she and JR would've gotten
married or do you think your character would've been paired with someone else?
Mary Crosby:
I think J.R. needed a new mistress every year so I don’t think I would
have lasted for a long time. Remember,
everything was frosting after the fifth episode. I was just thrilled to be there.
But I think there really wasn’t a place for her on the show. She had gotten together with J.R., but if
she married him it would have been a nightmare. That’s the joy of a series, getting to do different things. I remember getting Sue Ellen to drink again
– what fun! I certainly could have done
more with that but I’m not surprised it didn’t happen.
I don’t know
if this fits anywhere but can I tell a little story?
AS: Please do.
Mary Crosby:
My very first day on the set I was terrified, but it was a stoic kind of
terrified, no emotion. They shot me
coming out of the Southfork pool and I dried myself seductively. Well, I have green eyes and it was so bright
that the light was reflecting from my eyes and ruining the shot. And I was so blinded that I had my towel
clutching my breasts. And the director
was saying, “No, no, this is all wrong.
We have to do it again.” So
Larry sensed that I was nervous in my surroundings and he stuck a banana down
his pants and started drooling. (AS
laughs, startled) Yeah, I had the same reaction you did and after that it was
fine. I wasn’t nervous at all the whole
time I was on the show and that was literally my first day.
Oil Baron from Yorkshire, UK asks
Hi there Mary, my question to you is - Were you surprised to be asked back for
the finale of Dallas after so many years and did you fit back into the swing of
things easily?
Mary Crosby: What a lofty name! I was thrilled. It would have been inappropriate not to have me back, I
thought. Larry had asked me if I would
do it and of course I said yes.
AS: Did everyone
realize that was the last show? I had
read Leonard Katzman saying he was upset that the show was cancelled when they
were filming the last episode.
Mary Crosby: (Laughs) Everyone knew it was the
last show.
Hans Svendsen from Denmark asks
Hi. I know you were in Beverly Hills 90210 and I wonder: How was it to be in
this series? Was it different from being in Dallas?
Mary Crosby: I was a guest in the show for 2 ½
episodes. Doing an episodic show was
very different than being on a series.
You don’t know anybody; you’re not emotionally connected. And I was the puppy on Dallas but on 90210 I
was the older woman. I really have to thank Aaron Spelling for putting me on
that show. He put me on a lot of shows
actually.
AS: Michelle
Phillips from Knots Landing said the same thing. Aaron Spelling must be the nicest guy in Hollywood. Or maybe he’s partial to the Lorimar
shows. Either way, you wouldn’t expect
that from a mogul.
Mary Crosby:
I think there can be nice guy moguls.
It wasn’t just the Lorimar shows, though. He had a very extensive stable of actors and if he liked you,
he’d use you over and over. He’s very
loyal to his actors. I don’t know what
he’s doing now, but I’m sure he’s doing something.
AS: (Laughs) I don’t think Aaron Spelling will ever
stop. You can bet on that.
Leigh from Kingsport, Tennessee asks
Did you inherit your father's singing ability? If so, have you recorded
any music? Also, do you have any children? Thank you!
Mary Crosby:
I always wanted his voice and his blue eyes, but instead I got his nose.
I don’t believe I should do anything
unless I’ll be good at it, and I don’t think I’d be good at singing. My parents sent me to a singing teacher when
I was nine and he trained me for three months for this recital. When I sang, what came out was a high ‘C’
through my left nostril. My parents
looked at me and said, “What happened to your voice?” That was the end of my singing career. (Laughs)
AS: And your
children?
Mary Crosby:
Two boys. I have a 4-year-old
and a 1-year-old. I waited a long time
but I’m glad I found the right person to have children with.
AS: Could I ask your
husband’s name?
Mary Crosby:
Mark Brodka. It was worth the
wait for all three.
Karin from Örebro, Sweden asks
What was it like to play a mermaid on your guest stint on "Love
Boat"?
I just saw it the other day and the tail didn't look that comfortable...
Mary Crosby:
You know, that was Michelle Phillips’s tail believe it or not. She had done another role for Aaron. That was very early on.
AS: Was the tail
comfortable?
Mary Crosby:
All I can say is, once you got the darned thing on it it’s not going to
come off so quickly. Deep Space Nine,
that was another one. A four-hour
makeup job.
Lucy from Missouri asks
Do you keep in contact with anyone from "Dallas"?
Mary Crosby:
Larry and Maj. Larry walked me down the aisle and we spent our honeymoon
at his house. They’re Uncle Larry and
Aunt Maj to my children. They really
are our family, but a less dysfunctional one.
I see Linda sometimes since she’s very close to Larry and I’ll see her
at his parties. My mother has a golf
tournament and Patrick comes to it sometimes.
Bertrand from Montréal asks
Hi! I'd like to know how proud are you to have made television history?
I mean you're now part of American pop culture. Even Homer Simpson
wears a t-shirt saying, "I shot JR". Do you still think about
it or are you completely over it?
Mary Crosby:
I was over it before it began.
It amuses me to become a trivia question. But it helped me make a living for many, many years. I don’t really have the grandiosity to see
these things in large terms, though.
Dallas was a wonderful part of my life.
AS: With that, I
thank you Mary Crosby. I know your
husband’s been watching the kids during our interview so I hope I didn’t
interrupt you too much today.
Mary Crosby:
Not at all. It wasn’t an
interruption; I got to spend an hour with a very intelligent guy who asks lucid
questions and knows what he’s talking about.
You sound very interesting.
Thanks again.
Arthur Swift is a student at the Columbia University Graduate School of
Journalism in New York City.
Copyright 2004 Arthur Swift.