Larry Hagman, who played the conniving and mischievous J.R. Ewing on the TV show “Dallas,” died Friday afternoon at a Dallas hospital, the Dallas Morning News reported. He was 81.Hagman died of complications of his recent battle with cancer, members of his family said.

“Larry was back in his beloved Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved most,” the family said in a statement. “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 at this time.”

The iconic role of J.R. Ewing metamorphosed Hagman’s life. This past summer, TNT revived “Dallas,” bringing back some of the original cast and introducing a new generation of the Ewing clan.

Hagman made his home in California with his wife of nearly 60 years, the former Maj Axelsson, now suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Despite obvious physical frailty, he gamely returned to Dallas to film season one of the new “Dallas” and part of season two.