CNN has reported that actor Larry Hagman, who played the role of television’s iconic villains J.R. Ewing of Dallas died Friday, according to a family statement posted on Hagman’s official website. He was 81. It was stated in the website that Hagman had passed away at a Dallas hospital of complications from cancer.

Statement from Warner Bros., Dallas executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin, and the show’s cast and crew:

Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace. Everyone at Warner Bros. and in the “Dallas” family is deeply saddened by Larry’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and dear friends during this difficult time.

Larry Hangman’s new Dallas is set to premiere on this Thursday(November 29th, 9pm SIN/10pm MAL), exclusively first in Asia with WarnerTV.

Hagman shot to television superstardom in 1978 with the role of J.R. Ewing, the scheming Texas oil tycoon, in the prime-time soap opera Dallas. In June 2012, Hagman reprised the role for TNT’s reboot of the series.

According to CBS News, Hagman was diagnosed in 1992 with cirrhosis of the liver and acknowledged that he had drunk heavily for years. A malignant tumor was discovered on his liver and he underwent a transplant in 1995.

Last year, he admitted to be diagnosed with cancer, but Hagman called it “a very common and treatable form.”