'Knots Landing' Star Ted Shackelford, 80, Spotted on Rare Los Angeles Outing — Photos

Ted Shackelford, 80, is back in the spotlight after being photographed during a rare Los Angeles outing, giving fans a fresh glimpse of the actor decades after his Dallas and Knots Landing fame.

Ted Shackelford spent 14 years bringing one of primetime television's most complicated characters to life, and decades after Gary Ewing's story ended, fans still have plenty to say about the actor behind the role.

Now, a rare new appearance is giving viewers another reason to look back at the star's remarkable television career. Long before this latest public appearance, Shackelford had already established himself as a familiar face to generations of television viewers.

Born June 23, 1946, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Shackelford began his acting career on the soap opera Another World, where he played Raymond Gordon in 110 episodes from 1975 to 1976, according to Fox News. But it was his next major role that would turn him into a primetime television fixture.

Ted Shackelford, who played millionaire Gary Ewing on Knots Landing, smiles during a portrait session while discussing the character's return to Dallas and his hopes for Gary to show more courage. | Source: Getty Images

The Role That Defined His Career

In 1979, Shackelford joined Dallas as Gary Ewing, the troubled "black sheep" of the powerful Ewing family. He appeared in nine episodes of the hit CBS series before the character moved into the show's hugely successful spinoff, Knots Landing. From 1979 to 1993, Shackelford remained closely associated with Gary as Knots Landing ran for 14 seasons and 344 episodes.

The character's complicated life gave Shackelford an enormous amount of material to work with, from family conflicts and romances to alcoholism, crime, and other dramatic turns that became hallmarks of the series.

Knots Landing cast members pose for a 1979 promotional photo, including Ted Shackelford as Gary Ewing alongside Joan Van Ark as Valene Ewing and other original stars of the long-running CBS drama. | Source: Getty Images

His time as Gary was so extensive that, by the time he was asked about reprising the role years later, it was difficult to imagine anyone else stepping into the character. In a 2013 interview with The Dallas Decoder, Shackelford was asked whether he had ever expected to play Gary again.

"No. I did it for 14 years, and that’s a long, long time for anybody to do one character. I thought that would be it."

The Knots Landing cast poses for a 1982 group portrait, with Ted Shackelford as Gary Ewing alongside Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee and other stars of the CBS drama. By then, Shackelford had already spent years in the role — one he once thought he had played for the last time after its 14-year run. | Source: Getty Images

But when he returned to the role for the Dallas revival, getting back into Gary's mindset apparently wasn't nearly as difficult as he had imagined. "No. There's no magic here, man. I just learned the lines and showed up on time. It wasn't that hard. It came back pretty fast."

When the interviewer compared the experience to getting back on a bicycle, Shackelford agreed. "Yeah, that's a pretty good description of it. A little wobbly at first but then it takes off."

Ted Shackelford as Gary Ewing in Knots Landing, a role he would eventually reprise years after the original series ended. In a 2013 interview, Shackelford reflected on returning to the character, saying it came back to him quickly despite having played Gary for 14 years. | Source: Getty Images

Shackelford, 80, Is Seen in Rare New Photos

That long history as Gary Ewing makes Shackelford's latest appearance particularly nostalgic for longtime viewers. The 80-year-old actor was recently photographed during a rare outing in Los Angeles, giving fans an unexpected look at him decades after he became synonymous with one of television's most enduring soap characters.

In the photographs, Shackelford is wearing a blue collared shirt beneath a blue knit cardigan, paired with black trousers, sunglasses, and sneakers. He is also seen using a walker during the outing. The photos were shared on X. For fans who watched Shackelford as Gary for more than a decade, the images provide a rare opportunity to see the actor away from the screen.

And there is another reason the sighting may feel familiar to longtime followers of his career: it isn't the first recent glimpse of Shackelford in public.

Another Rare Appearance Came Last Summer

On July 4, 2025, when he was 79, Shackelford was photographed in Beverly Hills, according to the Daily Mail. During that outing, he reportedly wore a blue collared shirt, brown blazer, jeans, gray sneakers, and sunglasses and was seen using a cane near Rodeo Drive.

The two appearances offer fans relatively rare opportunities to see the actor away from the television roles that made him famous. And while the new photographs naturally invite memories of Gary Ewing, Shackelford himself once had some surprisingly blunt things to say about the character.

He Never Actually Liked Gary Ewing

Despite spending 14 years playing Gary, Shackelford admitted that he wasn't particularly fond of his character. In that 2013 interview with The Dallas Decoder, the actor was asked directly whether he liked Gary. "No, I never liked him."

When asked why, Shackelford didn't soften his answer. "Oh, I thought he was weak. I thought he never thought anything through. I didn't see any strength of character. I mean, just once I wanted him to have some courage. And I never saw that."

Still, disliking Gary did not mean Shackelford disliked playing him. In fact, he believed the character's shortcomings gave him opportunities to explore different sides of his acting.

ed Shackelford attends The Hollywood Show at The Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel in Los Angeles on October 5, 2013. The actor later revealed that, despite playing Gary Ewing for 14 years, he never particularly liked the character. | Source: Getty Images

"Well, you know, there are women who like weak men; they can manipulate. [Laughs] But having said all that, had he been stronger, I'm not sure I would've been able to play some of the things I played. I had great material. It was great stuff."

He added, "There were the drunk things, and then the mobster things, and I don’t know what else. Because he was the way he was, as an actor I got to play a lot of different colors, as they say."

Ultimately, whatever Shackelford thought of Gary as a person, he remained deeply appreciative of what the role had done for his career. "I mean, come on, man. I made a very good living for 14 years. Very few actors get to say that. I'm forever, forever grateful that I got to play this guy."

That gratitude extended beyond the character itself to the people who helped make Gary's world feel believable — including some of Shackelford's closest longtime co-stars.

Ted Shackelford attends The Hollywood Show at The Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel in Los Angeles on October 5, 2013. Reflecting on Gary Ewing, Shackelford said the character's flaws gave him the chance to explore a wide range of material while remaining grateful for the 14-year role that shaped his career. | Source: Getty Images

His Bond With Joan Van Ark Went Beyond the Screen

One of those relationships was with Joan Van Ark, who played Gary's wife, Valene Ewing. The two actors spent years portraying a married couple on Knots Landing, but their professional connection actually began before the series.

Shackelford and Van Ark had appeared together in an episode of Wonder Woman, and their working relationship eventually developed into the kind of shorthand that comes from years of performing together. "That's the beauty of it. Working with Joanie, you just learn the words, and you show up. There's already a connection there. There's nothing to worry about. It's so simple."

Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark pose together as their Knots Landing characters, Gary and Valene Ewing. The longtime co-stars had worked together before the series, and Shackelford later described their onscreen connection as effortless. | Source: Getty Images

Shackelford later recalled just how naturally the two communicated. "I just had lunch with her yesterday. There's a shorthand with us. You know, it's like a married couple. When we talk, we don't have to finish the sentence because we know what the other person is going to say."

He also pointed to their similarities, noting that they were close in age, had birthdays only a week apart, and came from neighboring parts of the country.

After so many years together onscreen, their familiarity was unmistakable. "I'm one of the lucky men in the business in that I had her to work with for, I guess, 13-and-a-half year[s] because she left during the final season [of 'Knots Landing'] for awhile and then came back. But you know, there was always a connection with her."

Van Ark wasn't the only co-star with whom Shackelford developed memorable chemistry.

Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark as Gary and Valene Ewing in Knots Landing in November 1979. Shackelford later described the longtime co-stars' connection as a natural shorthand, saying they could communicate like a married couple without always having to finish their sentences. | Source: Getty Images

Donna Mills Still Remembers Their Chemistry

Donna Mills, who played Abby Cunningham, shared several romantic storylines with Shackelford's Gary Ewing — and she has recently looked back on that chemistry herself. During an August appearance on the Creators Inc. Podcast, Mills was asked whether the feelings created during romantic scenes with Shackelford simply disappeared when filming ended.

According to the interview, she said they did not. "Well, yes. I mean, you can’t just cut that off," Mills said. "It is real in your being, in your body, and so you don’t just cut it off."

Donna Mills, who played Abby Cunningham on Knots Landing, discusses her onscreen chemistry with Ted Shackelford during an August appearance on the Creators Inc. Podcast. Mills reflected on whether the feelings from their romantic scenes lingered after filming. | Source: YouTube/Creators Inc. Podcast

She continued, "You have, you know, 100 crew standing around, so you know nothing is going to happen. But yeah, the feelings and everything, they’re still there." Mills was later asked which of her Knots Landing leading men she considered the best kisser. "Ted was the best kisser," she said. "We blended so well. I mean, we just did. We just like fit together."

Donna Mills continues discussing her chemistry with Ted Shackelford during an August appearance on the Creators Inc. Podcast, recalling that the feelings from their romantic scenes lingered even after filming stopped. Mills also singled out Shackelford when asked which of her Knots Landing leading men was the best kisser. | Source: YouTube/Creators Inc. Podcast

And that wasn't the only recent time Mills discussed her longtime co-star. In another Entertainment Tonight interview, Mills recalled filming romantic scenes with Shackelford. "I mean, look at Ted," she said. "I mean, really, get into bed with that body — and he's such a sweetheart. He really is. It was, uh, it was fun. I can't deny it. It was fun."

The recent comments from Mills help explain why the show's relationships remain such a memorable part of its legacy — even though Shackelford's career continued well beyond Gary Ewing.

Ted Shackelford as Gary Ewing and Donna Mills as Abby Cunningham in a 1984 Knots Landing publicity photo from the episode “Calculated Risks.” Mills later recalled the chemistry she shared with Shackelford, saying of their romantic scenes. | Source: Getty Images

Gary Ewing Wasn't the End of His Television Career

When Knots Landing ended in 1993, Shackelford continued working steadily rather than stepping away from television. He starred in Space Precinct from 1994 to 1995 and later returned to daytime television, playing Jeffrey and William Bardwell on The Young and the Restless from 2006 to 2015.

He also appeared as a guest on shows including Cybill and Spin City. Eventually, however, Gary Ewing came calling again. Shackelford returned to the character for the Dallas reboot, appearing in the series between 2012 and 2014.

His most recent on-screen appearance came in a 2017 episode of NCIS, according to Fox News and IMDb. His IMDb biography also lists credits including Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac and the 2002 movie Jane White Is Sick & Twisted. Even after all those years away from Gary, though, Shackelford had never completely closed the door on returning.

He Would Have Happily Returned to the Ewing Family

When Shackelford was asked in 2013 whether he would be interested in returning to Dallas after Larry Hagman's death, he didn't hesitate. "Oh, in a New York minute. In a heartbeat. Of course."

He was also asked about the possibility of Knots Landing returning as a weekly series. "I don't know. I'd be delighted to do it. Nobody's talking about it, though. I mean, nobody. I don't really see that happening. But sure, I'd do it."

His answers showed that, despite his criticism of Gary as a character, he still had affection for the world and the people who had been such a major part of his professional life. That makes the current renewed interest in Knots Landing particularly fitting.

'Knots Landing' Is Finding Its Way Back to Viewers

The opening title sequence of Knots Landing, the CBS drama that became a major part of Ted Shackelford's career as Gary Ewing. Shackelford later said he would have welcomed a return to both Dallas and Knots Landing, even as the series continues to find new viewers through its expanded digital availability. | Source: YouTube/Rob

The episodes are also available to stream on Prime Video and the Primetime Soaps by WBTV channel on Plex TV. The series premiered on CBS on December 27, 1979, and followed the residents of a coastal Los Angeles community whose seemingly comfortable lives became increasingly complicated.

Its storylines included infidelity, murder, kidnapping, drug smuggling, corporate intrigue, and criminal investigations, helping turn the Dallas spinoff into a long-running television institution.

The show's renewed availability means viewers can now revisit the world in which Shackelford spent 14 years playing Gary. And that world was apparently a particularly memorable one for the actor himself.

Ted Shackelford as Gary Ewing in Knots Landing, the Dallas spinoff in which he starred for all 14 seasons. The series followed the complicated lives of residents in a coastal Los Angeles community and became known for its dramatic storylines, including infidelity, murder, kidnapping, drug smuggling, corporate intrigue and criminal investigations. | Source: YouTube/Rob

Shackelford Once Called the Set a 'Great Place to Work'

In a 2023 interview, Shackelford described Knots Landing as a "great place to work," adding that everyone really stuck together while the show was on the air.

That camaraderie was also reflected in the show's later reunion. In 2005, Shackelford participated in a Knots Landing reunion alongside former cast members including Van Ark, Michele Lee, Mills, and William Devane.

Knots Landing cast members reunite for the 2005 television special Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again, with Ted Shackelford pictured alongside Lisa Hartman, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Kevin Dobson, Donna Mills, William Devane and Michelle Phillips. The reunion brought the stars back together at the show's famous cul-de-sac to reminisce about their years on the long-running CBS drama. | Source: Getty Images

The reunion allowed the cast to revisit the series and share behind-the-scenes memories while recreating parts of the original set. More than 30 years after the show's finale, the cast's memories — and the availability of all 14 seasons — have helped keep Knots Landing in the conversation.

And now, Shackelford's rare Los Angeles appearance has given fans one more reason to look back at the actor who spent so many years bringing Gary Ewing to life. For all his complicated feelings about the character, Shackelford ultimately said it best himself: "I'm forever, forever grateful that I got to play this guy."