09. 09. 10. - 14:00

'J. R.' to party with Lugner

TV legend Larry Hagman will visit Vienna later this month, it has been revealed.

Businessman Richard Lugner announced today (Thurs) that the actor – best known for starring as vicious oil baron J. R. Ewing in legendary US TV series "Dallas" – will attend the 20th anniversary of his shopping centre on 27 September.

Lugner said: "He will be on holiday in Europe at the end of this month anyway, so I asked him whether he would fancy coming to Lugner City."

The entrepreneur revealed he had become friends with Hagman – who turns 79 on 21 September – after meeting him at a society event years ago.

Asked whether Hagman had asked him to pay for his attendance, Lugner stressed: "I will only come up with his hotel bill. He’ll stay at the Hotel König von Ungarn for two nights. He told me he always stays there when in Vienna – I’ve got no idea why."

Lugner made clear that the TV icon would not provide autographs during the event at the mall located in Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus district.

German firm SolarWorld AG recently persuaded Hagman to star in a country-wide ad campaign encouraging people to invest in renewable solar electricity.

Lugner has made an international name for himself by inviting – mostly female – celebrities like Grace Jones and Paris Hilton to attend the annual Vienna State Opera Ball since 1992.