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Kercheval and Larry Hagman were the only 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. Kercheval was born and raised in Clinton, Indiana, to Marine "Doc" Kercheval, a local physician, and the former Christine Rieber. He trained under Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. Kercheval made his Broadway debut in the 1962 play Something About a Soldier. Additional theatre credits include The Apple Tree, Cabaret, and Here's Where I Belong. In 1966, he appeared as the title character in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, co-starring with Herschel Bernardi, Maria Karnilova, Julia Migenes, Leonard Frey and Pia Zadora. He got his start on television in 1966, playing the part of Dr. Nick Hunter on Search for Tomorrow. His film credits include The Seven-Ups with Roy Scheider and Tony LoBianco and F.I.S.T. with Sylvester Stallone. In 1991, he appeared in the reunion movie, I Still Dream of Jeannie, playing Mr. Simpson, a guidance counselor at Anthony Nelson, Jr's (Christopher Bolton) high school and was the temporary master for Anthony's mother, Jeannie (Barbara Eden). This was because Larry Hagman, who played Tony Nelson, was not available to reprise his role, as he had not yet finished his run on Dallas. He also appeared as a ballroom dance teacher in the independent film, California Casanova (1991 film). In 2006, he appeared in a musical at Southampton's Mayflower theatre and Plymouth's Theatre Royal in the performance of White Christmas playing The General. In 2007, he reprised his role at the Edinburgh Playhouse and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. He will reprise his role in Sunderland in 2010. He recently finished filming a small role in the independent film Corrado, starring Tom Sizemore. |