Ted Shackelford, 80, Makes Rare Los Angeles Outing With Walker

Q: Why did Ted Shackelford spend 14 years playing Gary Ewing if he secretly despised the iconic character's lack of courage?

Ted Shackelford stayed with Gary Ewing for 14 years because disliking parts of a character is not the same as rejecting the role. By his own account, he found Gary frustratingly weak and lacking courage, but that vulnerability was also central to why the character worked in the “Dallas” and “Knots Landing” universe. The broader record suggests Shackelford was often cast as men he considered less forceful than he personally preferred. In earlier interviews, he made similar complaints about other roles, saying he wanted to play stronger, more assertive characters. Gary Ewing fit that pattern: he was the troubled, emotionally fragile Ewing rather than the ruthless power player. That made him dramatically useful, even if Shackelford did not admire him. There were also clear professional reasons to stay. “Knots Landing” ran for years, made him a household name, and provided rare long-term stability in television. Actors often remain in successful parts because the material is rich, the work is steady, and the character gives them room to explore conflict. Gary’s alcoholism, failed marriages, family battles and repeated crises gave Shackelford exactly that kind of material. His later returns to Gary in the 2005 reunion and 2013 “Dallas” reboot also show he understood the role’s lasting importance. In short, he appears to have kept playing Gary not because he loved the man, but because he recognized the role as complex, career-defining and worth doing.

Q: How did Shackelford's strict off-screen boundaries prevent a real-life romance with his co-star despite their famously steamy television chemistry?

Shackelford’s off-screen boundaries appear to have been simple and firm: he kept the relationship professional because he was married. Donna Mills, who played Abby Cunningham opposite Shackelford’s Gary Ewing on *Knots Landing*, said their chemistry was genuine enough that the feelings did not instantly disappear when filming stopped. She described him as the “best kisser” and said they “fit together” naturally, which helped fuel the pair’s famously steamy scenes. But Mills also made clear that the attraction never became a real-life romance. Her explanation was direct: “He was married at the time.” Shackelford was married to Janis Leverenz during much of the show’s early run, from 1976 until their divorce in 1987. Mills added that although he later divorced, “not because of me.” So while the two clearly shared strong personal and physical chemistry on set, Shackelford’s boundary was that it stopped there. The combination of his marriage and the professional environment around them meant the relationship remained an on-screen one, despite how convincing it looked to viewers.

Q: What hidden health struggles forced the 80-year-old soap opera legend to rely on a walker during his rare Los Angeles outing?

There is no confirmed public evidence in the material provided that Ted Shackelford has disclosed any specific “hidden health struggles” that forced him to use a walker. The reporting and the added web content only establish that the 80-year-old actor was seen using a walker during a rare outing in Los Angeles. None of the sourced material cited here identifies a diagnosis, injury, or chronic condition behind it. No verified interview, family statement, or medical disclosure is included that explains the reason. That means any claim about what “forced” Shackelford to rely on a walker would be speculation unless backed by a credible on-the-record source. At most, the available information shows that he appeared to need mobility assistance during the outing, but the underlying health issue has not been publicly detailed in the material provided.

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 27

Photos showed Ted Shackelford, 80, using a walker during a rare public outing in Los Angeles, dressed in a blue collared shirt, blue cardigan, black trousers and sneakers.
Shackelford is best known for playing Gary Ewing on "Dallas" and "Knots Landing" from 1979 to 1993, a role he later said he found frustrating because the character seemed weak and lacked courage.
His career stretched beyond that run, from 110 episodes of "Another World" to "The Young and the Restless" from 2006 to 2015, with his most recent on-screen credit coming in a 2017 episode of "NCIS."
The sighting comes as interest in the veteran soap star persists through reunion appearances and renewed attention to "Knots Landing," including Donna Mills' recent recollection that their scenes together were "steamy."