American actor Patrick Duffy is best known for playing Bobby Ewing in the popular TV show Dallas. His persona was the youngest child of Miss Ellie and the honorable J.R. Ewing’s sibling. He returned to the program in a number of seasons and reboots. Duffy did, however, leave the program because she got tired of portraying a good character for so long. But shortly after he left, the show’s ratings drastically dropped, which prompted the creators to invite him back. The following year, he returned to “Dallas,” where his character was given vitality by referring to his death as a dream. The crowd did not like this turn of events. Nevertheless, the program continued to be popular for eleven seasons. In addition to “Dallas,” Duffy is well-known for his portrayal as Frank Lambert in the hit sitcom “Step by Step,” a single parent of three kids. Duffy is best known to viewers of the daytime soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” as Stephen Logan, a role he portrayed from 2006 to 2011. Duffy last appeared in the television film “The Christmas Cure,” in which he portrayed retired physician Bruce Turner.
Early Youth & Life
Terence and Marie Duffy welcomed Patrick into the world on March 17, 1949, in Townsend, Montana. He was the only boy and the second child of his parents. He was raised in extreme poverty because his family owned a neighborhood pub.
Duffy relocated to Everett, Washington, at the age of 12, where he attended Cascade High School.
He took part in a number of school plays because he is a member of the Cheer Club and the Drama Club. His love for performing led him to the University of Washington’s Professional Actors Training Program in Seattle, where he was one of the few chosen from more than 1200 applicants. In 1971, he earned a degree in theater.
Due to a vocal cord rupture during his final year of college, Duffy began working as an “Artist-in-Residence” for the state of Washington. He also attended mime and movement courses. It was at this time that he first encountered his wife, ballet dancer Carlyn Rosser, who was then employed by the New York-based First Chamber Dance Company.
Career of Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy relocated to New York at the urging of his wife, where he worked as a carpenter and on several Broadway shows to support himself. He contributed to the Off-Broadway production of “Natural Affection,” a drama by William Inge.
After that, Duffy and his wife relocated to Los Angeles, California at the advice of Duffy’s representative. He persisted in his acting struggles, taking on bit parts in movies and TV programs while driving a delivery truck for flowers.
With the television series “Man from Atlantis,” in which he played the part of Mark Harris, a being from the long-lost island of Atlantis that is found by a scientist, Duffy, at last, made his breakthrough in 1977. The following year, when the show was canceled, he landed his career-defining part in the soap opera “Dallas,” which changed the course of his career.
Beginning in January 1978, “Dallas,” starring Duffy as Bobby Ewing, the good guy, was released. Duffy appeared in the film alongside Barbara Bel Geddes and Larry Hagman. The program continued to enjoy incredible success. Duffy stayed with the program until 1985, at which point he made the decision to leave. He claimed that he was tired of acting like the “good man” and wanted to consider some novel possibilities. It is said that his character was killed off to signal his exit from the program.
Due to a drop in the show’s ratings after his departure, Duffy was asked to rejoin the ensemble of “Dallas” the following year. In the infamous “shower scene,” where his death was allegedly just a dream, his character made a comeback. He continued to portray the part until the show’s eventual cancellation in 1991.
Duffy was paired with Suzanne Somers in the comedy-drama series “Step by Step” in 1991 as Frank Lambert. Both the Duffy and Somers characters in the program are single parents raising three children each. The two characters, who are diametrically opposed in nature, developed into a minefield of jokes that the audience found to be very appealing, and the program continued for seven years.
Duffy appeared in two “Dallas” reunion television films, “J.R. Returns” (1996 release) and “Battle of the Ewings” (1998 release). Additionally, he co-produced both movies.
Thereafter, Duffy made short appearances in several TV programs, including ‘Touched by an Angel’ and ‘Reba’. He also contributed his voice to TV series such as ‘Justice League’ and ‘Family Guy’.
In 2006, Patrick Duffy became a member of the cast of the daytime television soap “The Bold and the Beautiful,” where he portrayed Stephen Logan.
Duffy reconnected with his “Dallas” co-stars Linda Gray and Larry Hagman for a show reboot in 2012. In the most recent iteration of “Dallas,” Jesse Metcalfe’s son Ewing was fathered by Brenda Strong, who portrayed Ewing’s new wife. In this program, his sibling rivalry with Larry Hagman’s portrayal of the evil J.R. also persisted. Tragically, Larry Hagman passed away from cancer just a few months after the new program debuted.
In the docudrama “Hotel Dallas,” he played Bobby Ewing once more. In 2016, the film had its world debut at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Personal Influence & Life
On February 15, 1974, Patrick Duffy wed Carlyn Rosser in a Buddhist rite. He was ten years older than Carlyn. Padraic and Conor are the couple’s two offspring.
He was exposed to Buddhism by Rosser, and he has been practicing it ever since. On January 23, 2017, she died.
Duffy experienced a tragic event in 1986 when two adolescent thieves killed his parents in an armed theft in Boulder, Montana. The two killers were apprehended, tried, and given a 75-year prison term as a result.
Patrick Duffy’s Net Worth
Trivia
Because he was born on St. Patrick’s Day, he was given the moniker Patrick.
Duffy always dreamed of being a competitive athlete as a child, so as a teenager he earned his scuba diving certification.
He claimed in an interview that he only became a Buddhist in order to pursue Carlyn Rosser, who would later become his wife.
His cousin is Major League Baseball pitcher Barry Zito.
In 2016, Patrick released “Man from Atlantis,” his debut work of science fiction.