Willard Barnes

Willard "Digger" Barnes was a character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by David Wayne (1978), Keenan Wynn (1979-1980), and David Marshall Grant in Dallas: The Early Years. Digger Barnes was the father of Cliff Barnes and Pamela Barnes Ewing, though it was later revealed that Hutch McKinney was her birth father.

Digger's rival was Jock Ewing, who he had previously been business partners with, but then Jock supposedly cheated Digger out of a fortune and his true love, Ellie Southworth, though it was later proven to be otherwise.

Digger's former wife, Rebecca (Cliff and Pam's mother), had left town when they were young children. Digger raised Cliff and Pam with his sister Maggie Barnes Monahan's help. It was later revealed that Digger was not Pam's biological father, Hutch McKinney had had an affair with Rebecca, an angry Digger revealed on his death bed that Hutch was Pam's Father and that when he found out he murdered Hutch and buried the body on Southfork. He revealed this on his death bed as Jock looked set to be done for murder, Digger had used Jock's gun. Due to his long love for Ellie Ewing and not wanting her to be a widowed as would be the case if Jock were sent to prison for the murder of McKinney, Digger admitted to the murder and died seconds later.

A legendary prospector but erratic personality, it was implied in Dallas: The Early Years that Digger could smell oil underground.

Digger was an alcoholic who died from alcohol poisoning in 1980. Jock claimed that he never cheated Digger out of a fortune but had signed over oil in his name as Digger would have drunk any profit. The war never ended and continued through the years with Digger's son Cliff and Jock's son J.R.

As an aside footballer John Barnes was famously nicknamed "Digger Barnes" after this character.