The perpetually nice Bobby

Press, 1 June 1981, Page 11

The perpetually nice Bobby

Patrick Duffy, the perpetual "Mr Nice-Guy" of "Dallas" fame always knew that one day he'd be a big star.

"I never doubted it." he says, referring to his fame and money. “I was always confident."'With good reason. Patrick Duffy was the onlyboy in an admiring family. He was born in Townsend. Montana. 32 years ago. where his parents. Terence and Marie, owned a tavern.

"I looked up to my father a lot," said Duffy.' His father was. according to his son. "very handsome, always the centre of attention;” and young Patrick was determined to be just like him when he grew up. He didn't realise that he could make a, living as an actor until he started performing in school plays. "In the drama department was a woman who said that acting was a respectable profession and I could make a living at it. From the time I graduated from high, school I went headlong into acting.” Duffy learnt his craft at the University of Washington. where to his delight

"nothing was required of us but acting." By now married to ballet dancer. Carlyn.' he went off to trv his luck in New- York.

A couple of years later, in 1977. he got the lead in the science-fiction series "Man from Atlantis." “I swam a lot, wore webbed feet and hands and had special lenses that hurt mv eves."

He tested for “Dallas" and was chosen frorrt among 12 candidates because, says the producer. Leonard Katzman, "he fitted the part of Bobby Ewing — charming, handsome and open." Duffy enjoys Dallas, though at first he found the character of Bobby a bit .too cloying and sweet. Attempts to make Bobby mean didn't come off. and Duffy doesn't seem all that concerned at the return to his perennial “Mr Nice Guy” image. "I've stopped really being that concerned. I’m concentrating on developing other parts of my career (theatrical films, TV movies and directing). ‘Dallas’ is now an enjoyable income tool.”