When he died on Friday afternoon, Dallas veteran Larry Hagman had already filmed six of the 15 episodes of the TNT drama’s upcoming second season, due to launch on Jan. 28.

The reboot of the legendary series will now have to adjust its storylines to account for the absence of one of television’s most beloved characters, villainous oilman J.R. Ewing.

“As of now, things are fluid and it is unclear how his passing will affect the production on the show, which was scheduled to resume following the Thanksgiving break,” reports Deadline Hollywood.

“Extending the hiatus or scheduling one in the near future is a possibility so the writers can rework the scripts for the remaining episodes without Hagman and, more importantly, create a proper sendoff for J.R.. The larger-than-life character was already at the heart of one of the most famous episodes of television as the November 1980 Dallas episode that resolved the series’ “Who shot J.R.?” cliffhanger remains the second most watched telecasts of all time. J.R.’s farewell episode on the new Dallas will likely attract legions of fans of the iconic character.”

As Celebuzz previously reported, Hagman died — at age 81 — with co-stars Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy at his bedside at a Dallas hospital.

In a statement, the actor’s family said: “Larry was back in his beloved Dallas re-enacting the iconic role he loved most. Larry’s family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time.”

Hagman had a liver transplant in 1995 after years of alcoholism. In June 2011, after signing on the remake of Dallas, Hagman revealed that he had stage 2 throat cancer.

At the time, he said: “As J.R. I could get away with anything — bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer. I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer. I will be receiving treatment while working on the new Dallas series. I could not think of a better place to be than working on a show I love, with people I love.”

“Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history,” the studio behind Dallas, Warner Bros. TV, and Dallas executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin, said in a joint statement hours after Hagman’s death.

“He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace. Everyone at Warner Bros. and in the Dallas family is deeply saddened by Larry’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and dear friends during this difficult time.”

Said TNT: “All of us at TNT are deeply saddened at the news of Larry Hagman’s passing. He was a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor. We will be forever thankful that a whole new generation of people got to know and appreciate Larry through his performance as J.R. Ewing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.”

Before his death, Hagman talked about reprising his beloved character, J.R. Ewing.

Larry Hagman — who starred as Dallas legend JR Ewing — died Friday afternoon, at age 81.

The death was confirmed by the agent for Hagman’s co-star Linda Gray, who said the actress was at Hagman’s bedside when he died at a Dallas hospital, according to The Sun newspaper in London.

Jeffrey Lane said another co-star, Patrick Duffy, was also present.

“They had been friends for 35 years and they had worked together for many years, so obviously it is devastating,” Lane said.

Late Friday night, Hagman’s family released a statement, saying: “Larry was back in his beloved Dallas re-enacting the iconic role he loved most. Larry’s family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time.”

Hagman had a liver transplant in 1995 after years of alcoholism. In June 2011, Hagman revealed that he had stage 2 throat cancer.

At the time, he said: “As J.R. I could get away with anything — bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer. I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer. I will be receiving treatment while working on the new Dallas series. I could not think of a better place to be than working on a show I love, with people I love.”

Despite his illnesses, Hagman returned to Dallas to film season one of TNT’s Dallas reboot and part of season two.

He married Maj Axelsson in 1954 and the couple had two children.