Charlene Tilton: Net Worth, Age, Height & Everything You Need To Know About The Dallas Actress

2 days ago 3

Lucy Ewing (Charlene Tilton) lying on the grass and smiling coyly in Dallas

Charlene Tilton may not be as rich as her famous Dallas character, but the actress still has a high net worth. Tilton has been acting since the 1970s, with her first onscreen appearance in a 1976 Happy Days episode. That same year, she also appeared as Bambi in the original Freaky Friday, starring Jodie Foster. However, Tilton is by far most famous for her role as Lucy Ewing, daughter of Gary and Valene and niece of the villainous J.R. Lucy started the series as a troublemaking teen, and her many of her storylines revolved around her tumultuous romantic life.

Not much is known about Tilton's early life, other than that she was born to single mother Katherine Thacker, a secretary, in San Diego, California, and that she was living on her own at age 15. Tilton has been married twice. Her first marriage was to country singer Johnny Lee from 1982-1984, and together they had a daughter, Cherish Lee. Tilton's second husband was Scottish musician Domenick Allen, and their marriage lasted from 1985-1992. From 2001-2009, Tilton was in a relationship with cinematographer Cheddy Hart, and they lived together in Oxnard, California. Hart died of heart failure at 54.

Charlene Tilton's Net Worth

The Dallas Actress Is Worth $2 Million

With a net worth of $2 million, it's safe to say that most of Charlene Tilton's wealth came from her work on Dallas (via Celebrity Net Worth). It's by far her most prominent role, and Tilton appeared in 13 of the show's 14 seasons for a total of 242 episodes, earning up to $15,000 per week. Tilton also appeared in six episodes of the Dallas revival series, garnering her a new generation of fans.

Tilton was eventually written off Dallas in season 13, with Lucy moving to Italy. She is briefly mentioned in the series finale, though she did not appear.

Tilton may not be a household name, but she's been acting steadily ever since her Happy Days debut in 1976, and has four upcoming projects listed on her IMDb page. Some of her other notable TV credits include appearances on The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Married... with Children, and The Middle. Tilton certainly isn't as rich as her Dallas character — the Ewings are worth a whopping $2.8 billion, according to Forbes — but her net worth continues to grow with her frequent acting roles.

Charlene Tilton's Age & Height

Tilton Is A Sagittarius

Lucy Ewing (Charlene Tilton) wearing pearls and looking serious in Dallas

Charlene Tilton was born on December 1, 1958, making her 65 years old. Those born at the beginning of December fall under the Sagittarius sign in the zodiac. Sagittarius is a fire sign represented by the archer, and are known for their passion and sense of curiosity.

This is certainly true of Tilton's most famous character, as Lucy Ewing is known for her passionate romances, from her tryst with ranch foreman Ray Krebbs to her affair with her literature professor, Greg Forrester. At 4' 11", Tilton may be one of the shortest members of the Dallas cast, but she's certainly the biggest in terms of personality.

Charlene Was Close Friends With Her Co-Star Larry Hagman

She Saw The J.R. Actor As A Father Figure

JR Ewing Dallas (Larry Hagman) smiling on Dallas.

J.R. Ewing may be one of television's most notorious villains, but according to Charlene Tilton, J.R. actor Larry Hagman was quite the opposite. In fact, Tilton considered Hagman to be a surrogate father figure. She actually met him before Dallas, when she was trying to make it as an actress. She even credits Hagman for keeping her on the show after her contract expired in season 8. She told People,

"...he called me and said, ‘You’re certainly a good actress—we never realized.’ I think Larry went to bat for me to come back on the show.”

Sadly, in 2012, Dallas' Hagman passed away at the age of 81 due to complications from acute myeloid leukemia. Just like in Dallas, where Lucy attended J.R.'s funeral, Charlene Tilton attended Hagman's. Their friendship went far beyond colleagues; Hagman was a true father to Charlene Tilton, and she openly shared heartfelt words about her Dallas co-star (via TV Series Finale):

At seventeen years old my life took a turn that one could only dream of. I was cast as Lucy Ewing in the iconic show Dallas. Dallas was so much more than a television phenomenon to me. It was my family. I grew up with a mentally ill single mother raising me and no father figure in my life. I lived on my own in an apartment from the age of fifteen. I remember the day I met the force of nature that is Larry Hagman like it was yesterday. (It was actually 35 years ago). My Uncle Larry became the father figure that I so needed and longed for. He taught me how to be professional, work hard but have fun at the same time, and how to respect the opportunities I was blessed to have been given. He was very protective because I was so young, but also expected the best from me on the set of Dallas. He was one of the best actors the world has ever known. To me he will always be my Uncle Larry. I am so so very sad, but cherish the lifetime of memories I have with him.

One of the most popular soap opera series of all time, Dallas aired in 1978 as a part of CBS' line up and follows the wealthy oil baron family, the Ewings, as those from within and close to them plot and scheme their way to the top of the social ladder. The series ran for fourteen seasons before it concluded in 1991.

Cast Larry Hagman , Patrick Duffy , Ken Kercheval , Steve Kanaly , Linda Gray , Barbara Bel Geddes , Victoria Principal , Charlene Tilton

Release Date April 2, 1978

Seasons 14

Read Entire Article