NEED TO KNOW
Linda Gray played Sue Ellen Ewing, wife of JR Ewing, on Dallas throughout the series run from 1978 to 1991
The actress, 85, has also reprised the role on several occasions, sharing a fondness for her time on the long-running prime time soap
Gray tells PEOPLE about parting with mementos from the Dallas days in the upcoming “Ladies of the ’80s” auction, presented by Julien’s Auctions
Linda Gray is letting fans get their hands on a piece of Dallas history.
The actress, 85, is teaming up with Julien’s Auctions to auction off items from her time playing Sue Ellen Ewing, as part of the auction house’s “Ladies of the ’80s,” an auction which celebrates the women who helped shape one of television’s most glamorous and influential decades.
Speaking with PEOPLE about her contributions — which include her director’s chair from the set of Dallas, original clapperboards for episodes she fought to direct, production scripts, and props belonging to the character Sue Ellen — Gray says it’s “bittersweet” to part with some of the memorabilia.
“I love the boys, Darren Julien and Martin Nolan from Julien’s Auctions. I love them, so when they invited me to contribute to their auction, I was happy to. At the same time, I was kind of reluctant,” she admits.
Larry Hagman (as J.R. Ewing) and Linda Gray (as Sue Ellen Ewing) in 1998
Credit: CBS/Getty
“The fans want things that are personal, and now that I’ve given away, to hopefully add a little joy to their life. So that’s why I ended up doing it,” she continued.
While there were items that Gray was ready to part with, there’s so much that she still holds on to. She calls these items “dear to my heart.”
“Everything that Larry gave me, I’ll keep forever,” she said of late costar and on-screen husband, Larry Hagman. “That’s a non-issue. The things that he did give me are treasures, like the little notes he would send me. He had such a great sense of humor, and he would send me funny little notes, and those are keepers,” she shares.
“And then, one day, he gave me his watch. I think he was moving up in stature and finance, because he had a lot of money, and so he gave me an old Rolex watch that he was known to wear, and I received it. I think it was maybe my birthday. I’m not quite sure when he gave it to me, but I have that. That’s a keeper.”
Gray says that Hagman was her “favorite” scene partners, “because he became a sparring partner.
Linda Gray, who plays Sue Ellen Ewing, as she leans over fellow actor Larry Hagman, who plays her husband, John Ross ‘J.R.’ Ewing Jr., in 1983
Credit: CBS/Getty
“He also became the one I could laugh with and fight with and just have great acting. It was an acting class with Larry, just perfect. A theatrical love-hate relationship, that’s what it was,” she says.
Gray says the special connection between them wasn’t one that everyone understood, recalling, “He’d always call me Ms. Gray and I’d always call him Mr. Hagman.”
“He was very charming and supportive, so he’d say, ‘Good scene, Ms. Gray.’ And when we’d be out in public, he’d say, ‘Well, Ms. Gray did this,’ and I’d come back and say, ‘Mr. Hagman is this.’ People thought we were very formal,” she laughed.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Larry Hagman and Linda Gray in 2012
Credit: Ian Gavan/Getty
“In reality, that was not the case. He was so much fun in real life; that was the charm. He was just a great sparring partner on film. So that was the beauty of him.”
In addition to Gray’s Dallas treasures, bidders can check out Sophia Petrillo’s instantly recognizable handbag from The Golden Girls, designer fashions from Loni Anderson’s time on WKRP in Cincinnati and a dazzling selection of Joan Collins’ original costumes from Dynasty.
The online auction takes place on Wednesday, August 12th, at 10:00 AM PST live from Los Angeles, CA. Collectors can register & bid now and participate online in real-time at www.juliensauctions.com.
Read the original article on People