Who Shot J.R. and 11 Other Surprising Facts about ‘Dallas’

4. The Only Actor to Win An Emmy

In the case of the Ewings, the woman behind the men wasn’t their wives, but the family matriarch “Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow,” brilliantly portrayed by Barbara Bel Geddes. Other than her absence due to medical reasons during the 1984 – 85 season, Bel Geddes starred until the series’ penultimate season. Her grasp of the character and incredible delivery earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series, a television Golden Globe for Best Actress – Drama, and Germany’s Golden Camera Award in 1985. Bel Geddes passed in 2005 and was the only member of the Dallas cast to ever win an Emmy. Another little known fact, the actress was just nine years older than the actor who played her son J.R.