‘Dallas’ Turns 47! Charlene Tilton Looks Back at Larry Hagman, Prince and Playing Lucy Ewing (Exclusive)

Dallas made its TV debut on April 2, 1978 as a six-part miniseries that centered around the dramatic highs and lows of the oil rich Ewing clan. And as soon as she heard about it, Charlene Tilton, a budding teen actress who grew up in Hollywood and had already appeared on shows such as Happy Days and Eight is Enough and in the film Freaky Friday, was determined to become a cast member on the new show.  

“I read in Dramalogue, now called Backstage West, where they were casting Dallas,” Tilton begins. “The description for Lucy Ewing was, ‘She’s a manipulative little sexpot. She was born with a silver spoon and has everything money can buy.’ She was without her parents, and I knew how that felt, because I have been living on my own since I’m 15. I’ve never seen my father and my mom was quite mentally ill, so I thought, ‘I get her. I know why she’s acting out.’ My agent called Barbara Miller, the casting director, and Barbara had put me in Eight is Enough and a few other different shows. She said, ‘No, Charlene is too young, not experienced enough.’ ”