EXCLUSIVE Dallas star who played a Ewing is unrecognizable during LA outing... can you guess who she is?

Daily Mail​

02-05-2025

Dallas fans were sent into a frenzy this week when one of the show's most beloved stars was spotted on a rare outing in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The beauty, now 61, famously played Cally Harper Ewing — the second wife of the notorious J.R. Ewing — on Dallas from 1988 to 1991, and she looked radiant as ever while crossing the street with an armful of children's books.
Dressed casually in an oversized striped top and relaxed leggings, the actress looked nothing like her scheming waitress soap character.
Still, even years removed from her red carpet days, her signature blonde tresses were instantly recognizable to longtime fans.
After Dallas, she left the on-screen drama behind for lighter roles, popping up in fan-favorite shows like Growing Pains and Beverly Hills, 90210.
So, who's the gorgeous star?
If you guessed Cathy Podewell — you nailed it!
Back in 2018, Podewell looked back fondly on her time in Dallas, the show that made her a household name.
Speaking to Cryptic Rock, Podewell recalled, 'I got to play an amazing character and I got to work with Larry Hagman. He was so wonderful, he was the most wonderful, caring sweet person ever.'
What was originally planned as a brief appearance blossomed into a major role thanks to their undeniable chemistry on screen.
'That was a lucky thing, because when I auditioned, it was supposed to only be a recurring role for seven episodes, and the chemistry between us was so good, that the producers felt the storyline could go further, so it turned from seven episodes into three years! I feel very blessed about that,' she shared.
Podewell also opened up about her early career and her breakout in the 1988 cult horror classic Night of the Demons.
'The best memories! That it has survived and it has become a fan-favorite is so wonderful in and of itself because of the rest of the cast I get to see now,' she said.
Reflecting on the project, she added, 'I loved everybody then and I love everyone now. We were all so young. We just had the best time. At the time, we thought it would play in the theater, maybe go to VHS, and that's it. We were just in the moment having a great time.'
Speaking to Cryptic Rock , Podewell recalled, 'I got to play an amazing character and I got to work with Larry Hagman. He was so wonderful, he was the most wonderful, caring sweet person ever'
Born in Evanston, Illinois, Podewell moved with her family to Walnut Creek, California, where she was raised by her father, a teacher, and her mother, a real estate agent.
Acting was part of her family legacy — her paternal grandparents, Lester Podewell and Beverly Younger, were both actors, which no doubt influenced her passion for performing.
Podewell pursued her artistic dreams at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she majored in theater arts and dance, laying the foundation for her eventual career in Hollywood.
After graduation, Podewell packed her bags for Los Angeles.
Like so many aspiring actors, she worked as a waitress while enrolling in acting classes and slowly chipping away at auditions.
'I went to college and majored in theater and dance. After college, I went to LA, got a waitress job, got into an acting class, chipped away, and I was very fortunate,' she recalled to the outlet.
'It really didn't take that long — I think I got my first job after I had been there a year. I am very grateful for around five years of work; I worked pretty straight and solid.'
In 1989, Podewell married Steven Glueck, and by 1992, they welcomed their first child.
'I went to college and majored in theater and dance. After college, I went to LA, got a waitress job, got into an acting class, chipped away, and I was very fortunate,' she recalled to the outlet
Naturally, her priorities shifted: 'Then I had a baby. I got married in 1989, and my son was born in 1992. I think the last few things I did were in 1991,' she explained, reflecting on her decision to step away from the industry to focus on family life
Naturally, her priorities shifted.
'Then I had a baby. I got married in 1989, and my son was born in 1992. I think the last few things I did were in 1991,' she explained, reflecting on her decision to step away from the industry to focus on family life.
Podewell and Glueck went on to have three children together.
Even years away from the spotlight, Podewell remains a beloved figure to soap fans and horror aficionados alike — proof that her performances left a lasting impression.