Dallas: Linda Gray Teases Sue Ellen’s Season 3 Dynamic With John Ross

Being a parent can be difficult, but being the parent to the spawn of J.R. Ewing and takes after his father is a challenge that, thankfully, very few parents actually have to face.

On the upcoming third season of TNT’s Dallas, which premieres February 24, Sue Ellen Ewing, who spent so many years dealing with J.R.’s cheating and lies, might feel like she’s seen a ghost, as her son, John Ross, is picking up some of his father’s bad habits. Newly married and newly owning half of the Southfork estate, John Ross (as played by Josh Henderson) is going to be causing drama for a lot of people — and it might be up to his mother to keep him in check.

We spoke with actress Linda Gray, who has played Sue Ellen from the very first episode of Dallas back in 1978, about the dynamic between mother and son in Season 3.

“I think she’d like to take that kid by the scruff of his neck and give him a good shake,” Gray laughs. “I think that’s what he needs. I adore their relationship, and he’s always disappointing her, which I love. I think it’s just fabulous. I love their relationship. It’s delicious. I’ve gotten a couple of Tweets from Twitter fans, and they say I’m meddling too much in John Ross’ affairs. Well, just wait! She’s going to keep meddling, meddling, meddling and he’s going to keep doing bad things!”

“That’s the way it works, and the scenes that they’ve written – applause to the writers – the scenes that they’ve written for the two of us are extraordinarily wonderful. And it shows! You know, once a mother, you’re always a mother. You’re always kind of in there. You want them to be better than they are; you see their highest potential, and when they mess up, you get disappointed. It doesn’t matter how old the kids are – whether they’re 3 or 35. It doesn’t matter. You’re still in there, and you can’t help yourself,” she says.

“Girlfriends and I used to say, ‘it’s part of our charm.’ And so, there are times that I have to say – Linda Gray says to herself about Sue Ellen – ‘sweetheart, it’s part of your charm’.”

Dallas Season 3 premieres in less than three weeks – Monday, February 24 on TNT! You can find some trailers, promotional photos, and other previews here.