Barbara Stock learned she was written off ‘Dallas’ while in makeup room

Barbara Stock had no idea she was being eliminated from the hit show “Dallas.”

Actress Liz Adams portrayed Bobby Ewing, a sharp, street-smart government agent and friend of Patrick Duffy who became romantically involved with Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval). The prime-time soap opera was one of the most watched series of the 1980s.

Stock, who first caught viewers’ attention on the 1980s series “CHiPs,” saw “Dallas” as the opportunity of a lifetime — one that ended as quickly as it began.

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Barbara Stock took over the role of Liz Adams during the final seasons of the hit TV series “Dallas.” (© Warner Bros. Television/Everett Collection)

“I realized I was going to be written up the day someone came up to me in the makeup room and said, ‘I heard this is your last day!’” Stock, Now an interior designer in CaliforniaFox News Digital said.

“I should have known,” she admitted. “That shows you my level of intelligence in these matters.”

For the final episode of Stock, there was clear evidence that she wouldn’t be returning.

Barbara Stock, seen here in 1987, told Fox News Digital that any scene that involves a packed suitcase is a sure sign that your days on the show are numbered. ((c) Live Film Images / Courtesy Everett Collection)

“I had a scene where I was packing my bag,” she said. “I had no reason to think I wouldn’t come back. But looking back, that’s always a big clue for any actor — when you pack your bag for a show, that could be the end. You’re about to take a surprise trip or vacation, forever.”

The realization “broke my heart,” Stock said. She was hoping to be part of the show’s final send-off. “Dallas,” which premiered in 1978, followed the powerful Ewing family and their ongoing battles over their oil empire. Series It inspired the spin-off film “Knots Landing”, that captivated audiences from 1979 to 1993.

“Dallas” ended in 1991.

Barbara Stock told Fox News Digital that she has no hard feelings about her “Dallas” movie ending abruptly. (Peter Sorrell/American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)

“The nice thing is that when you have a contract for all the episodes, you get paid anyway, even for the ones you don’t do,” she said. “I was free to go and do other work as well. It all went well, but I missed them. I really enjoyed everyone. I looked forward to going to work every day, whether it was for a big group scene or a small one. There wasn’t a bad apple on the set. The cast was really great.”

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Larry Hagman, who played the ruthless J.R. Ewing, later told Stock that his wife thought J.R. should have ended up with her character when the show ended.

“It was interesting to me to end up becoming J.R.’s last love, as his wife suggested,” Stock said. “But once it was over, it was over. I didn’t think about it too much.”

Barbara Stock, seen here in 1982 Hollywood, now lives a quiet life as an interior designer. (Peter Sorrell/American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)

“I remember Larry welcoming me with open arms,” she said. “He was very humble and very nice. …And then all of a sudden, I was packing my bag and leaving. I later learned that it was because they had to wrap up all the other storylines for the original characters before they finished. So, I was sorry that I couldn’t do all the episodes that I had signed up for, but it was good for everyone.”

“Dallas” cast members Patrick Duffy (as Bobby Ewing) and Larry Hagman (as John Ross “J.R.” Ewing Jr.), circa 1978. Barbara Stock told Fox News Digital that the cast welcomed her to the set with open arms. (CBS via Getty Images)

Stock stressed there were no hard feelings. It’s nothing but wonderful Memories of her time in Dallas.

“I just adored it [Duffy]”Like Larry, he was very humble,” she said. I actually saw him last year at the signing conference. It was so fun to see him again. And man, he’s still working all the time and doing theater, so he seems to have a very happy life. It was great – they all were. George Kennedy, who I had some scenes with, and Ken, they really welcomed me.”

Larry Hagman, shown here as J.R. Ewing in 1978, died in 2012. He was 81 years old. (CBS via Getty Images)

Stocks are used to work with great people. She also played Florence Henderson’s daughter in a 1986 episode of “Murder, She Wrote.”

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Florence Henderson, best known for her role as the mother of “The Brady Bunch,” played Barbara Stock’s mother in “Murder, She Wrote.” She is pictured here in 1992 at the 4th Annual Nancy Reagan Tennis Tournament in Los Angeles. (Ron Galella Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

“We’ve worked together before,” Stock said. “We did a stage show in Los Angeles, and I was in the chorus. I got my actor’s rights card in that show. I was 22, and Florence played the lead in it. For those three months, she was amazing — a wonderful girl. And it was fun to play mother and daughter later.”

“At first I thought it was a strange choice because she was petite and petite, while I was tall and brunette,” Stock continued. “But it was a beautiful experience. Florence had a wonderful sense of humor. She was a wonderful singer, too. She was so sweet and kind to everyone on set. Working with Angela Lansbury, an icon who was the consummate professional, was a gift.”

Stock said the actor she connected with most on set was Robert Urich, her co-star in the police series Spenser: For Hire, which aired from 1985 to 1988.

Barbara Stock starred opposite Robert Urich in Spenser: For Hire. The series aired from 1985 to 1988. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

“He was in my corner when I needed him,” she said. “We were real friends, which is one of the reasons our on-screen relationship was so good. We really liked each other. I respected that he was the star of the show. I was a little intimidated at first when I met him, but he immediately reassured me. I remember after the audition, when they called me back to meet him, his face just lit up. I felt like he wanted me there, and I had a good chance of getting the role. That turned out to be the case.”

Urich died in 2002 After a long struggle with cancer. He was 55 years old.

Robert Urich died in 2002 at the age of 55. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

“I was heartbroken when he died,” Stock said. “I remember having a lovely conversation with him. At one point, he thought he had overcome it. It was around 1997 or 1998. He said: ‘I found out yesterday – they told me I had overcome this.’ “I’m cancer-free.’ I was ecstatic for him. And then he and his wife adopted a baby. But four years later, the cancer came back. … It was heartbreaking. He was so young.”

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Spencer (Robert Urich, front) is a gourmet chef, former boxer and former Boston police officer. As a detective, he drives an old Mustang and works in a converted firehouse where his main contact on the street is freelance enforcer Hawk (Avery Brooks). Susan Silverman (Barbara Stock) is a guidance counselor and Spencer’s friend. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Stock moved away from acting in the early 2000s. She has no regrets about the decision.

“I fell in love with design,” she explained. “And then, when we had our son, my husband and I wanted to stay home and just be with him. My husband was producing a TV series when our son was born, and he was gone at least 12 hours a day. So when the show ended, we looked at each other and said, ‘We want to go home with our son.’

After welcoming her son, Barbara Stock began to wonder if life in Hollywood was still worth pursuing. (© Warner Bros. Television/Courtesy: The Everett Collection)

“And to be honest, I was getting older,” she continued. “I was 38 when I had him. I didn’t start working until a year after he was born. I did a movie of the week, which was amazing. He was on site in Tucson, So I took my son with me. But it is starting to become difficult, as I balance my acting career and personal life.”

Barbara Stock appeared in the 1982 TV movie “I, Desire.” (Peter Sorrell/American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)

“I did a few things here and there, and I always took him with me. But I found myself torn between working on set and being with my son. Eventually, I realized that I loved working on homes and design, and I could stay at home more with my son. So I made the move. It wasn’t a difficult decision, and I was always glad I did.”

Stock said she doesn’t know what show business is like these days. But the one piece of advice she would give to aspiring actors is to study their craft.

Barbara Stock is seen here in “Port Charles” in 1998. She left acting in the 2000s. (Kathy Playface/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

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“Do what you have to do to get the job,” she said. “This doesn’t mean you sleep your way to the top. You can have a great career without ever having to do this.”