Sasha Mitchell

[Bobby Southworth]

Did anyone here actually like Sasha Mitchell's portrayal of James? I don't believe I've ever read one positive thing. Was it really the acting; the writing; the fact he was an addition in last years; the voice, or all of the above? For me, I'm not sure if it was the acting, what he was given to work with or the voice. Probably all three, but his voice: he sounded like something of a dumb surfer dude. If you did like the character, what did you like? What did people not like?

 

[James from London]

If you did like the character, what did you like?

I thought James, along with Michelle, was a real breath of fresh air. He had a very likeable, goofy charm. His relationship with the Ewing Oil secretaries was amusing. I really liked all his scenes with Vanessa - their relationship felt very warm and believable to me. His friendship with Cally was really sweet until it went so unexpectedly and interestingly wrong. I thought his relationship with Bobby was very interesting; it kind of prefigured Bobby's relationship with John Ross in New DALLAS. And James and Michelle made for the hottest young couple on DALLAS since ... maybe ever. That whole bedroom mix-up between James, Michelle, Cally, JR and Diana Farrington was a blast. And so was his end of season scene with JR in the sanatarium. I could go on ...

 

[Bobby Southworth]

I did kind of like James and Michelle when they were together during the 13th season. They did make a good couple. There, I said it. For some reason he was more tolerable when he was with her and they were happy.

 

[Pamela_E]

Did anyone here actually like Sasha Mitchell's portrayal of James? I don't believe I've ever read one positive thing. Was it really the acting; the writing; the fact he was an addition in last years; the voice, or all of the above? For me, I'm not sure if it was the acting, what he was given to work with or the voice. Probably all three, but his voice: he sounded like something of a dumb surfer dude. If you did like the character, what did you like? What did people not like?

James and Michelle felt like they were dragging Dallas into a new era. Plus all my friends were majorly crushing on him at the time.

So they were doing something right which was resonating with younger people.

The show was missing a generation. Back in 1978 there was Pam and Bobby, plus Lucy. Then they l got older and the gap never filled.

The biggest issue was that it came so late in the day.

Over in Knots Landing we had a whole bunch of younger ones from Olivia, Paige, etc etc.

Dallas was stuck, the next generation were too young. So it was right they introduced some new blood.

That's why I always thought it was unfortunate and rather short sighted that they wrote out Charlie. There is always something quite poignant when non blood relatives have a parental connection. She finally became interesting and had dialogue that didn't talk about Darius but was carted off.

Anyway I don't ever recall questioning Sasha's acting ability at the time. It was only through discussion years later it became a thing.

 

[Brian Kinney]

I always liked James and never had a problem with Vanessa. I can't say I noticed anything bad about Sasha Mitchell's acting because he had a decent German voice in dubbing. Agree about the warm relationship with his mother (quite the opposite to the dysfunctional Ewing and Barnes relative/ relationship issues). I didn't mind Michelle either but her role was a bit too visible or it seems so in my memory.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I know most will disagree but I didn’t mind the James character at all. The problem for me at this point was more the writing, not so much the casting. The original cast was mostly gone or about to be gone at this point anyway and they were going to be hard to replace no matter who they decided to bring in. That’s what happens when a show stays on that long. I enjoyed his relationship with Michelle and I thought he had excellent chemistry with Cally and Sly as well.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

my man had the rare ability to make nails on a chalkboard sound like a symphony of angels

 

[Bobby Southworth]

James and Michelle felt like they were dragging Dallas into a new era. Plus all my friends were majorly crushing on him at the time.

So they were doing something right which was resonating with younger people.

The show was missing a generation. Back in 1978 there was Pam and Bobby, plus Lucy. Then they l got older and the gap never filled.

The biggest issue was that it came so late in the day.

Over in Knots Landing we had a whole bunch of younger ones from Olivia, Paige, etc etc.

Dallas was stuck, the next generation were too young. So it was right they introduced some new blood.

That's why I always thought it was unfortunate and rather short sighted that they wrote out Charlie. There is always something quite poignant when non blood relatives have a parental connection. She finally became interesting and had dialogue that didn't talk about Darius but was carted off.

Anyway I don't ever recall questioning Sasha's acting ability at the time. It was only through discussion years later it became a thing.

Yes, I remember a conversation with my friend's cousin back in the day. She was going on about Sasha, and I asked, what about Bobby? She was like, Bobby? He's old. Lol. I was barely a teenager then, and now I'm a couple years older than Patrick was the last year of Dallas. Depressing. You're right as far as at least the addition of Sasha managed to get some type, if not minor attention from the younger generation at the time. Perhaps that's another reason I wasn't crazy about him. The fact that he was probably primarily cast because of his appearance. I understand why they did it, though.

 

[Garry]

The strangest thing about Sasha Mitchell for me is that the Dallas writers never gave James one single scene with his grandmother, Miss Ellie. Not one. It's a relationship that would have been interesting to see on screen.

Even years later neither Mitchell or Dallas writer Howard Lakin know why that oversight happened.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

I have no issues with Sasha Mitchell. I'm sure he did his best with what was given to him. It's a shame all we ever saw of him since his time on Dallas was his time on Step By Step and some Kickboxer movies.

​

With John Ross still too young it was obvious the writers wanted a new younger male lead heading into the 1990's. It's just the writing didn't connect much with much of the known Dallas history where he may have found trouble as Vanessa Beaumont was a newcomer to the viewers after Sue Ellen. It made sense that JR had children prior to meeting Sue Ellen. I detest the way he treated Michelle in Season 14 but I wish we got more of him especially in TNT Dallas. With better writing he could have been a great character. I wish we as Dallas fans heard more from Sasha Mitchell.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I quite liked James but they sort of sidelined John Ross a bit when he stayed on the show.

 

[Sarah]

Not even remotely. He was annoying, licked his lips constantly and I could never accept him as JR’s son, still refuse to let it enter my head. The storyline surrounding him was ridiculous, he swanned about Southfork like he owned it and had not one bit of respect for JR or the Ranch, Ewing Oil or family in general.

He was up in own ass, thought he could do what he liked and I just like to file him away under the ‘shall never accept or revisit’ file.

 

[Rove]

I'm with @Sarah on this one. I couldn't stand the actor, that voice, and the head turning son out of nowhere scenario. Of course there is the distinct possibility JR could have fathered children but it's my impression JR's interest was in following Jock and immersing himself in Ewing Oil. If anyone should have had a child pop up out of the blue it should have been Bobby. He was the playboy out of the three boys and I think introducing a teenage son while Pam was still there could have been an interesting turn.

But Sasha? No. Just no.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Dreadful: The dumbing down of Dallas and speeding up its hasty decline of the final 2 years - throw in Cally, Michelle and April into the equation not to mention the dreadful newbies of the final season who I dont even wish to remember

Never bought the storyline as JRs son and as Vanessa his one true love or the actor in the role

One I fwd at the time and wouldnt wish to watch again, poor acting, storylines and consider BBG lucky she didnt need to share a scene - Laurel Ellis was bad enough and James was on the same - wooden as a plank - par with her

Thank goodness at the time for S1-6 and 8 and VCR!!

 

[Angela Channing]

I like Sasha Mitchell and I don't think he's a bad actor but I'm not sure he was the best fit for how they wanted James to be portrayed. Sasha came across as being a genuinely nice and caring guy and I felt the part needed someone with a bit more of an edge.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I do like this picture of Larry Hagman and Sasha Mitchell.

 

[Pamela_E]

I have no issues with Sasha Mitchell. I'm sure he did his best with what was given to him. It's a shame all we ever saw of him since his time on Dallas was his time on Step By Step and some Kickboxer movies.

​

With John Ross still too young it was obvious the writers wanted a new younger male lead heading into the 1990's. It's just the writing didn't connect much with much of the known Dallas history where he may have found trouble as Vanessa Beaumont was a newcomer to the viewers after Sue Ellen. It made sense that JR had children prior to meeting Sue Ellen. I detest the way he treated Michelle in Season 14 but I wish we got more of him especially in TNT Dallas. With better writing he could have been a great character. I wish we as Dallas fans heard more from Sasha Mitchell.

I have no issues with Sasha Mitchell. I'm sure he did his best with what was given to him. It's a shame all we ever saw of him since his time on Dallas was his time on Step By Step and some Kickboxer movies.

​

With John Ross still too young it was obvious the writers wanted a new younger male lead heading into the 1990's. It's just the writing didn't connect much with much of the known Dallas history where he may have found trouble as Vanessa Beaumont was a newcomer to the viewers after Sue Ellen. It made sense that JR had children prior to meeting Sue Ellen. I detest the way he treated Michelle in Season 14 but I wish we got more of him especially in TNT Dallas. With better writing he could have been a great character. I wish we as Dallas fans heard more from Sasha Mitchell.

The problem with him being in Dallas TNT was that he just didn't have the historical relevance as he came so late into the show.

Maybe if it had continued we may well have seen him but it was already in a bit of mess and adding him or anyone else would have made things even messier at that point.

But I do wonder if one of the reasons he didn't come to JR'S funeral was because they wanted to keep that card in their deck for the future.

As I said it's a shame they didn't add a long lost child earlier for JR. It would have been quite believable that JR and even Jock had a child out there somewhere.

As we now know ifnwe had seen a 4th season of Dallas we would have met JR's long lost daughter and the show shifting towards John Ross vs her. Which would have been interesting. It was going to be a bit of a mini reboot.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

The problem with him being in Dallas TNT was that he just didn't have the historical relevance as he came so late into the show.

Agree, but a mention would have been good. He is canon.

Maybe if it had continued we may well have seen him but it was already in a bit of mess and adding him or anyone else would have made things even messier at that point.

The whole things was a mass so I agree. True, many Dallas fans seem to forget the later seasons so it would have been hard to explain him if they tuned out in 1987.

But I do wonder if one of the reasons he didn't come to JR'S funeral was because they wanted to keep that card in their deck for the future.

That would have been a good idea. They had Cally there so James would have been a good addition. James fighting John Ross for a part of Ewing Energies or even been an ally would have been interesting.

As I said it's a shame they didn't add a long lost child earlier for JR. It would have been quite believable that JR and even Jock had a child out there somewhere.

Agreed. It took until Season 13 to do that seems kinda late. JR met Sue Ellen in 1967 when he was thirtysomething, plenty time to have had more bastard children. LOL, Ray would agree.

As we now know ifnwe had seen a 4th season of Dallas we would have met JR's long lost daughter and the show shifting towards John Ross vs her. Which would have been interesting. It was going to be a bit of a mini reboot.

I would rather John Ross fight James or his son Jimmy, JR's other son from Cally or Christopher again than this long lost daughter. She would have had no screen time with Larry Hagman and that would really make it harder to except the character IMO.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

He certainly was great eye candy but at least he could act.

 

[the-lost-son]

Dallas was a sinking ship at that time and I fully understand the producer's decision to add new, younger faces.
The writing was very bad at that time.

I was annoyed by the character of James from the very beginning, I couldn't find anything that did not irritate me.
It's hard to compare actors, but if you play the son of THE iconic TV character of the 80s, JR Ewing, these are big shoes to fill.

Josh Henderson managed that (for me), Sasha Mitchell didn't.

It was devastating when JR was "outsmarted" by James who locked him into the sanatorium. What a slap in the face of the loyal fan base.

I watched Sasha Mitchell in Dallas and step by step. I did not take on this goofy surfer approach in his acting.

Every Dallas TNT return of an old character was thrilling for me, but I'd never wasted a thought about him.

Maybe I'm too harsh in my judgment, blaming these bad final seasons on him (and Michelle) but that's the way I feel.