Jim Davis (August 26, 1909 - April 26, 1981) was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap opera, Dallas, a role which continued until he was too ill from a terminal illness to perform. During season four, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma but continued to film the show as long as he could. In many scenes as the season progressed he was shown seated, and his voice became softer and more obviously affected by his illness. He wore a hairpiece to cover the hair he'd lost from chemotherapy. A season four storyline regarding the Takapa development and Jock's separation from Miss Ellie was ended abruptly at the end of season four. The writers depicted the couple suddenly leaving to go on an extended second honeymoon when it became obvious that Davis could no longer continue to work. Their departure in a limousine in the episode "New Beginnings" was Davis' only scene in that episode, and his condition was so poor that close watching reveals (based on his unsynchronized lip movement) that he overdubbed his one last line of dialogue. It was his final appearance on the show. He died of complications from his illness while season four was being aired. His character remained offscreen for thirteen episodes after Davis' death, with the storyline explaining that Jock was in South America drilling for oil after taking care of Ewing Oil-related legislative business in Washington, D.C. The fifth-season episode "The Search", which confirmed the character's death in a helicopter crash, was broadcast on January 8, 1982 and contained flashback scenes of the character. A portrait of Davis in his role as Jock Ewing often appeared as a memorial on Dallas after his death.
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