Ken Kercheval

Kenneth Marine Kercheval (July 15, 1935 – April 21, 2019) was an American actor, best known for his role as Cliff Barnes in the television series Dallas and its 2012 revival.

Early life Kercheval was born on July 15, 1935, in Wolcottville, Indiana, to Marine "Doc" Kercheval (1899–1967), a local physician, and Christine Reiber (1903–1996), a registered nurse. He starred in the show from 1978 to 1991, from its pilot episode to the series finale. He initially was cast as Ray Krebbs before being given the role of Cliff Barnes. Kercheval and Larry Hagman were the only Dallas cast members to stay with the series throughout its entire run, although Kercheval's character was only a recurring character during the first two seasons. He became a regular cast member in the 1979–1980 season. Kercheval reprised the role of Cliff Barnes in the 1996 Dallas reunion, J. R. Returns, and he appeared in the 2004 CBS reunion special. He again reprised the role in the Dallas (2012) series.

Personal life and death A lifelong smoker, Kercheval was a lung cancer survivor after having had part of his lung removed in 1994.

Kercheval died of pneumonia on April 21, 2019, at the age of 83.

Filmography

Naked City (1962, TV Series) as Acting Student (uncredited) The Defenders (1962–1965, TV Series) as Harry Grant / Jack Wilks The Nurses (1965, TV Series) as Mac The Trials of O'Brien (1965–1966, TV Series) as Jerry Quinlan / Dr. McCahey Hawk (1966, TV Series) as Clark An Enemy of the People (1966, TV Movie) as Billing Pretty Poison (1968) as Harry Jackson Search for Tomorrow (1966, TV series regular) as Dr. Nick Hunter The Secret Storm (1968, TV series regular) as Archie Borman Cover Me Babe (1970) as Jerry Rabbit, Run (1970) as Barney The Coming Asunder of Jimmy Bright (1971, TV Movie) as Jimmy Bright The Seven-Ups (1973) as Ansel – Seven-Up Get Christie Love! (1974, TV Series) as Alec Palmer The Disappearance of Flight 412 (1974, TV Movie) as White How to Survive a Marriage (1974, TV series regular) as Larry Kirby Beacon Hill (1975, TV Series) as Dist. Attorney The Adams Chronicles (1976, TV Series) as James Madison Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys (1976, TV Movie) as District Attorney Tom Knight Network (1976) as Merrill Grant The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977) as John Surratt Rafferty (1977, TV Series) as Jerry Parks Family (1978, TV Series) as Mark Adams Kojak (1973–1978, TV Series) as Teddy Maclay / Professor Lacey / Ray Fromm F.I.S.T (1978) as Bernie Marr Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978, TV Movie) as Miles Amory CHiPs (1978, TV Series) as Dr. Faraday Too Far to Go (1979, TV Movie) as Jack Dennis Starsky & Hutch (1979, TV Series) as Deputy D.A. Clayburn Walking Through the Fire (1979, TV Movie) as Dr. Freeman Here's Boomer (1980, TV Series) as Dr. Haggert Trapper John, M.D. (1981, TV Series) as Marty Wicks The Patricia Neal Story (1981, TV Movie) as Dr. Charles Canton The Demon Murder Case (1983, TV Movie) as Richard Clarion Calamity Jane (1984, TV Movie) as Buffalo Bill Cody The Love Boat (1981–1984, TV Series) as Lester Erwin / Don Bartlett Glitter (1985, TV Series) as John Ramsey Jr. Hotel (1983–1986, TV Series) as Frank Jessup / Leo Cooney You Are the Jury (1986, TV Series) as Stanley Nelson Mike Hammer (1987, TV Series) as A. Walter Decker Matlock (1987, TV Series) as Louis Devlin Highway to Heaven (1988, TV Series) as Richard Osbourne Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter (1990, TV Movie) as L.D. Ryan Corporate Affairs (1990) as Arthur Strickland Dallas (1978–1991, TV series regular) as Cliff Barnes California Casanova (1991) as Willie Keeping Secrets (1991, TV Movie) as Frank Mahoney I Still Dream of Jeannie (1991, TV Movie) as Mr. Simpson Diagnosis: Murder: Diagnosis of Murder (1992, TV Movie) as Frank Stevens L.A. Law (1992, TV Series) as Al Bremmer Murder, She Wrote (1992, TV Series) as Alex Ericson Dangerous Curves (1992, TV Series) as Jimmy Douglas In the Heat of the Night (1993, TV Series) as Judge Lawton Gray Woman on the Ledge (1993, TV Movie) as Doctor Martin The Golden Palace (1993, TV Series) as Charlie Beretta's Island (1994) as Barone Walker, Texas Ranger (1993, TV Series) as Dr. Slade Lovejoy (1993, TV Series) as Rutherford Lovejoy Burke's Law (1994, TV Series) as Bernie Green A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994, TV Movie) as Harlan Richards Dallas: J.R. Returns (1996, TV Movie) as Cliff Barnes Diagnosis Murder (1997) A Mime is a Terrible Thing to Waste as Duke Fallon Rusty: A Dog's Tale (1998) as Carl Winthrope ER (1 episode, 1998) as Mr. Zwicki Diagnosis: Murder (1993–2000, TV Series) as Keith Dunn / Duke Fallon / William P. Bissell / Alex Ridlin Blind Obsession (2001) as Harrison Pendragon Crossing Jordan (2002–2006, TV Series) as Claude Manning Corrado (2009) as Vittorio Dallas (2012–2014, TV Series, recurring role) as Cliff Barnes The Promise (2017) as Dr. Christopher Webber Surviving in L.A. (2019) as Charlie (final film role)