ACTOR
Patrick Duffy
- Known for
- Dallas (1978), Step by Step (1991), Man from Atlantis (1977), Dallas (2012)
29 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
Patrick Duffy is an actor best known for Dallas, Step by Step and Man from Atlantis.
All facts (29)
- #001
It was Patrick Duffy's wife who suggested the "dream season" to explain Bobby Ewing's return from the dead on Dallas (1978).
- #002
Patrick Duffy wears a medical alert bracelet on his right wrist to call attention to a potentially fatal penicillin allergy.
- #003
On November 18, 1986, teenagers Kenneth Miller and Sean Wentz killed Duffy's parents, Terrence and Marie Duffy, during a robbery at the couple's Boulder Bar in Montana. Wentz and Miller each said the other fired the gun that killed the Duffys, but both were convicted of the double murder and each sentenced to 180 years in prison. Wentz later recanted his testimony and told prosecutors that he himself had killed the couple, but Miller's clemency request in November 2000 was denied.
- #004
During his days on The Man from Atlantis (1977), Patrick Duffy could hold his breath underwater for three minutes.
- #005
Patrick Duffy beat out Steve Kanaly for the role of Bobby Ewing on Dallas (1978). Kanaly went on to play Ray Krebbs.
- #006
Patrick Duffy said he was not satisfied with the final episode of Dallas (1978) because it broke away from the format the series had established.
- #007
Dallas (1978) producer Leonard Katzman hired a crew that had not worked on Dallas (1978) to film what the team believed was an Irish Spring commercial with Duffy. The crew spent hours shooting the commercial, which was later inserted into a scene from Dallas (1978). The result was the famous shower scene in which Duffy's character, "Bobby Ewing," returns from the dead and says "Good Morning" to his TV wife, played by Victoria Principal. Principal did not know Duffy was returning to the series until she saw the exciting event on television, after which she called him.
- #008
Patrick Duffy and his wife Carlyn Rosser (1939-2017) first met on a bus. She was 10 years older than him. Throughout the filming of Dallas (1978), he always wore his wedding ring, even in seasons when his character was not married.
- #009
Patrick Duffy's son Conor Duffy (born 1/16/80) played "Little J. R." in the final episode of Dallas (1978) in 1991.
- #010
As of January 2000, Patrick Duffy had been unemployed for only three weeks in his 22 years in show business.
- #011
Barbara Bel Geddes, who played his TV mother on Dallas (1978), became Patrick Duffy's surrogate mother after his real-life parents were killed in the middle of the 10th season.
- #012
Patrick Duffy is in a relationship with Linda Purl (November 2020).
- #013
In July 2002, Patrick Duffy was writing a script for a third and final Dallas (1978) reunion with Larry Hagman.
- #014
Patrick Duffy was named one of the University of Washington's 100 Alumni of the Century.
- #015
Patrick Duffy's son Padraic Duffy graduated from Princeton University (NJ) in 1996.
- #016
Patrick Duffy earned $75,000 per episode of Dallas (1978) plus a $1 million signing bonus (1986-91).
- #017
Patrick Duffy's granddaughter Fiona Lee Duffy was born in the summer of 2006.
- #018
Patrick Duffy has two sons, Padraic Duffy (born 1974) and Conor Duffy (born January 16, 1980).
- #019
Patrick Duffy graduated from Cascade High School in Everett, WA, in 1967.
- #020
Patrick Duffy's nephew is Barry Zito, the Cy Young-winning pitcher for the San Francisco Giants (Duffy's wife is the sister of Zito's mother).
- #021
Patrick Duffy's son Conor Duffy graduated from the University of Washington-Seattle in June 2001 with a degree in Drama.
- #022
As of 2005, Patrick Duffy was living in Eagle Point, OR.
- #023
Patrick Duffy's son Padraic Duffy (born 1974) played "Mark Harris" in Dallas (1978). "Mark Harris" was the name of Duffy's character in Man from Atlantis (1977).
- #024
Patrick Duffy enjoys golf and plays in celebrity tournaments.
- #025
Patrick Duffy collects antique toys and children's books.
- #026
Patrick Duffy's grandchild, Maxwell Robert Duffy, was born in the summer of 2008.
- #027
Patrick Duffy attended the University of Washington, Seattle, where he appeared as a guest actor in the UW theater program.
- #028
Patrick Duffy's surname means "black" in Irish and probably refers to black hair.
- #029
Patrick Duffy is the father-in-law of Emily Cutler.
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