Ted Shackelford’s Career and Rare Los Angeles Appearance

Ted Shackelford, a prominent figure in television, was recently seen in Los Angeles. At 80 years old, the actor was captured in photos wearing a blue collared shirt with a matching knit cardigan, black trousers, sunglasses, and sneakers.

Shackelford gained initial fame playing Raymond Gordon on ‘Another World’ and later became widely recognized for his role as Gary Ewing in ‘Dallas’ and its spinoff, ‘Knots Landing.’ He portrayed the character from 1979 to 1993 and continued his acting career after the show ended.

Despite playing Gary Ewing for many years, Shackelford expressed in a 2013 interview with The Dallas Decoder that he never liked the character. He described Ewing as lacking courage and strength of character, traits Shackelford longed to see in the role.

Beyond ‘Knots Landing,’ Shackelford appeared in various TV movies and shows, including ‘Cybill’ and ‘Spin City.’ He returned to soap operas with roles as Jeffery and William Bardwell on ‘The Young and the Restless’ from 2006 to 2015. His most recent appearance was in a 2017 episode of ‘NCIS.’

I thought he never thought anything through. I didn’t see any strength of character, Shackelford said. I mean, just once I wanted him to have some courage. And I never saw that.

His career timeline includes:

• 1975-1976: Played Raymond Gordon in ‘Another World.’
• 1979-1981: Appeared as Gary Ewing on ‘Dallas.’
• 1979-1993: Continued as Gary Ewing in ‘Knots Landing.’
• 1994-1995: Starred in ‘Space Precinct.’
• 2006-2015: Starred in ‘The Young and the Restless.’
• 2017: Last on-screen appearance in ‘NCIS.’

Shackelford revisited the role of Gary Ewing in the 2013 ‘Dallas’ reboot. He also joined a ‘Knots Landing’ reunion in 2005 with fellow cast members Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Donna Mills, and William Devane, sharing behind-the-scenes experiences.

Donna Mills, a co-star on ‘Knots Landing,’ referred to her intimate scenes with Shackelford as ‘steamy’ in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in August. She remarked, I mean, look at Ted…he’s such a sweetheart…it was fun.