Patrick Duffy
I like Patrick Duffy. I never had a crush on him like my older sister Lori did, but he seems like a really great normal guy. He is best known for portraying Bobby Ewing on Dallas, but I like to think of him as Frank Lambert from Step by Step. He was dumb and sexy in that show. I’ve been watching it again on Hulu. One of my guilty pleasures.
Patrick G. Duffy was born on March 17, 1949 in Townsend, Montana. Aren’t all people from Montana nice? Duffy moved to the Seattle area when he was 12. He then moved to Hollywood in the early 70’s where he drove a florist’s delivery truck while auditioning for roles. Duffy was working as a house painter in 1976 when he landed his first major role on Man From Atlantis. This is when it all began.
One week after Man from Atlantis was canceled, Duffy won his most famous role of Bobby Ewing on Dallas. That show continued on until 1991 when he won his next big role. Duffy then portrayed Frank Lambert on Step by Step where his wife was played by Suzanne Somers. That show ended in 1998 and he has continued to pop up here and there ever since. I know he recently played Stephen Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful. Does this guy ever rest? Oh yeah, I also saw him hosting a game show on the Game Show Network. He does it all!
Trivia
- Graduated from Cascade High School in Everett, Washington in 1967.
- Has been a Buddhist for over 50 years.
- Collects antique toys and children’s books. Too bad he doesn’t collect teen pinups.
- Is allergic to penicillin and wears a medical alert bracelet.
- Has two sons, Padraic and Conor.
- Duffy could hold his breath underwater for three minutes when he was filming Man from Atlantis.
- Between the beginning of Man From Atlantis in 1977 and the end of Step by Step in 1998, he was only out of work for a total of three weeks. That’s quite a run.
- Had a single reach number five in The Netherlands in 1983. He sings too?
- Former San Francisco Giants pitching star Barry Zito is Duffy’s nephew.
- His parents were murdered during an armed robbery in 1986 at the bar they owned in Montana. I can’t even imagine……
Dallas Trivia
- Son Padraic portrayed Mark Harris on Dallas. Mark Harris was the name of Duffy’s character on Man from Atlantis. Coincidence?
- Son Conor portrayed Little J.R. on the final episode of Dallas in 1991.
- Duffy’s wife, Carlyn, is the one who suggested the dream season which explained Bobby Ewing’s return from the dead.
- The dream sequence was a surprise to all the actors, even his TV wife (played by Victoria Principal). The Dallas people hired a separate camera crew to film what they thought was an Irish Spring commercial. The result is the famous shower scene where Bobby Ewing returns from the dead. That’s actually pretty awesome.
Life Now
Patrick and his wife Carlyn had been married for 43 years which is a lot for any couple, let alone someone in the business. Carlyn passed away in 2017. Duffy currently splits his time between Eagle Point, Oregon and Los Angeles. He seems like a laidback Oregon dude. Patrick seems like one of those guys who will always be around (and always good looking) and on the TV somewhere. Let’s hope this is the case.