January 1, Knots Landing Icon Spotted Using Walker at 80

Wyatt’s Take

• Hollywood stars face the same aging challenges as everyone else, and this candid moment shows reality over glamour.
• Ted Shackelford’s long career on classic TV proves hard work and talent matter more than flash or fame.
• Fans remember the shows that brought families together before Hollywood turned everything political and divisive.

Ted Shackelford, the actor who played Gary Ewing on “Knots Landing,” was recently seen out in Los Angeles using a walker.

The 80-year-old appeared in a blue collared shirt, knit cardigan, black trousers, and sneakers during his rare public outing.

Shackelford first gained attention on “Another World” before moving to the prime-time soap operas “Dallas” and its popular spinoff “Knots Landing.”

He portrayed the black sheep of the Ewing family from 1979 to 1993 and continued working in television movies and guest spots on shows like “Cybill” and “Spin City.”

“I thought he never thought anything through. I didn’t see any strength of character,” Shackelford said in a 2013 interview. “I mean, just once I wanted him to have some courage. And I never saw that.”

He later returned to daytime television as Jeffery and William Bardwell on “The Young and the Restless” from 2006 to 2015 and made a final guest appearance on “NCIS” in 2017.

“I mean, look at Ted,” co-star Donna Mills told Entertainment Tonight in August. “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.”

Wyatt Matters

Classic television once gave working families something wholesome to watch together, and actors like Shackelford remind us that real talent and steady careers still matter more than Hollywood trends or political posturing.