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I am Patrick Duffy, actor, from DALLAS and many other things, ask me anything!
For those of you who watch the new DALLAS, I am the tallest white-haired actor on the show. For those of you too young to have watched the original DALLAS, I'm the rather inept father on STEP BY STEP. For those of you who have your own white hair, I used to be the Man from Atlantis (I was an underwater superhero in that show… there's a good half a dozen people out there who have seen it).
We're approaching the mid-season of DALLAS (which is going to be a cliffhanger - there will be a double cliffhanger this season), so I'm out here beating the drum for it. I'm here with Victoria and looking forward to taking your questions! You can ask me anything - I don't always answer everything but I will always give you a good reason not for answering something.
https://twitter.com/therealpduffy/status/453951186752659456
I'm amazed and appreciative that this many people would take this much time out of their day to ask me these questions, and I wish I had more time to answer more. I'm wrapping up for now, but thank you so much.
PatrickDuffy_63 karma
I thought it was hilarious! They'd never asked me, so when I appeared as Scuzzlebutt's left leg, I thought it was just this tiny thing but it was one of the major things I'm known for. Sometimes I think it's more popular than DALLAS!
sanguisbibemus14 karma
The Family Guy cameo you did was hilarious but really weird at the same time. What prompted that?
PatrickDuffy_37 karma
The Family Guy was prompted by the fact that they were such fans of DALLAS that they wanted to incorporate it in some form on the show. Anytime someone is a fan and in the business, I find it doubly rewarding and have a natural inclination to say yes.
poolgirl8021 karma
Do you keep in touch with any of your old Step-By-Step costars? Who and how often?
PatrickDuffy_77 karma
I communicate with Suzanne. I communicate with Christine, who is now getting married - that shows you how long she's been around. I wrote a letter of introduction for Dana (who was played by Stacey) to get into law school, and she has since graduated and gone on to be a lawyer in LA. Those are my 3 closest connections. I still get Father's Day cards and christmas cards from my girls. I wanted to give Christine away at her wedding, but she chose her real father - I have no idea why.
silence154517 karma
Hi, Mr. Duffy! I've been a fan of yours for a very long time, and I first want to tell you what Step By Step meant to me as a kid. I come from a blended family, and growing up there was never a family on TV that looked like mine until Step By Step came along. It made me feel a little more normal, as Frank reminds me a lot of my Dad. Few questions for you:
How did you feel about the, "It was just a dream" explanation for bringing Bobby back?
Was there talk about stopping the series when Larry Hagman passed away?
What happened to Josh Byrne during the last season of Step By Step?
Do you still keep in touch with Sasha Mitchell? I always loved that he was cast as your nephew on both shows.
Thanks so much for your time!
PatrickDuffy_26 karma
I felt it was the only legitimate way to bring the character back, because it meant that the character never went away. Any other incarnation would have stretched, I feel, the credulity of the show itself - i.e. to invent another brother, or plastic surgery and he's now a bag person, the fact that Bobby could continue never having died was the perfect resolution.
No, there wasn't talk about stopping it as far as I know. I would assume any good business, which TNT and WB are, would have put that possibility on the table, but they have great confidence in the executive producer and her writing staff, and within the first couple of weeks of work after Larry died, the ideas as to how to continue the show were of such quality that the idea was never brought up again, and the show has continued.
Oh, little Josh! It was one of those things that they do on television quite a bit. I think it started on HAPPY DAYS where Richie's older brother just disappeared into the ether somewhere and was never mentioned again on the show. I think they did it on ROZEANNE. so on STEP BY STEP, they ran out of plot concepts to involve the character, and somehow by ignoring the character, the character disappeared. We never made mention of it, the show just sort of went on. We had enough kids, they probably couldn't keep track of them anyway.
Yes, it was very interesting that he reappeared after Dallas as my nephew. I don't communicate with him, but because of the miracle of social media, I track him by virtue of Facebook befriending so I know where he is and what he is doing. That's the extent i've communicated with him since the end of the show.
poohspiglet15 karma
I remember Man from Atlantis and I actually wrote you some fan mail! I think I was about 10 at the time and I had the worst crush on you! Do you keep your fan mail?
PatrickDuffy_21 karma
I don't keep my fanmail, but I read my fanmail. It's impossible to answer every bit of fanmail. I try and return whatever I can in terms of fan letters if they come with any sort of self-addressed stamp and envelope that i can slip something in and put in mailbox. Things that come to the studio that get forwarded to me I answer hopefully without fail. Some things fall through the cracks. if you still like me, I hopefully answered your fan letter. If not, write again!
PatrickDuffy_13 karma
Someone asked if there was a role I didn't get that people would be surprised by. Again, when you come to town - I keep all of my day-by-day books, those little reminder and calendar books you can get. I have every year's book since 1970. And from 1972-1976, just on a whim, my wife and I went through those appointment books. And I think within those 4 years, I had four jobs. I was successful in getting 4 jobs. And in that time, I had over 300 auditions. So I guess in one sense I could say "think of all the work I turned down" But I was just not the right person for. Many of them went on to be very successful. The producer of STEP BY STEP, Bill Bickley, had his appointment book where I actually auditioned for HAPPY DAYS and obviously I didn't get the part, but he had seen me and he didn't remember me, which is why I didn't get the job.
coalminersgd12 karma
Thank you for visiting Reddit and doing an AMA! I have to ask about your "Patrick Duffy and the Crab" YouTube series. I absolutely loved it and wondered if you would do more of those.
PatrickDuffy_17 karma
We plan to do more! My youngest son and his wife are the writers & producers of Patrick Duffy and the Crab. They are both heavily involved in working at the moment, as am I. The dream would be to do another half-dozen once in a while. It is merely a matter of time and opportunity.
Crowbars211 karma
Patrick, what season of Dallas did you enjoy filming the most?
Why was Bobby Ewing killed off in the series simply to return the next season?
PatrickDuffy_37 karma
Actually, one half of 2 seasons. I really enjoyed the demise of Bobby, that was enjoyable to do, that was the end of season 7. And then the very end of season 8, because it got so much attention, with the return of Bobby in the shower. So those were my two favorite moments in the show.
Bobby was killed off in the end of season 7 because Patrick Duffy the actor wanted to go out and do other things. Bobby returned at the end of Season 8 because Patrick Duffy found out that there weren't great things to do out there, and so he wanted to come home. Larry first approached me - I wasn't going to come back on the show, but Larry who was my closest friend, phoned me and convinced me to come back on the show, and then the writers had to focus on how to bring a dead man back.
thomf9 karma
Any plans for a Step-by-Step reunion? The 90's kids of the world will rejoice!
PatrickDuffy_18 karma
Well tell everybody to start writing letters then! We all were a very close and loving family off-camera, and if the idea and the script was correct, I'm sure (speaking for myself and Suzanne because we've discussed it) we would be more than happy to resurrect the Lambert family.
MissyB289 karma
HI Mr Duffy, greetings from Ireland, is it true you have relatives in Westmeath Ireland?(Where I'm from) I really enjoy the new season of Dallas!
PatrickDuffy_16 karma
The answer is Yes! I've been to our family's homestead, actually, in Meath. This was maybe 12-15 years ago. I met a distant relative who was a cousin of my grandfather's. She had mementos sent by my grandfather from America in the 1930's. She took me to the actual home, a small 2 room house, where my grandfather, his wife, and 10 children lived.
Joseph6118 karma
Hello Mr. Duffy!
Any special memories of Buffalo, NY when you were here filming "Vamping"?
Continued success and long live Dallas!
PatrickDuffy_10 karma
The Anchor Bar! My introduction to the origin of Buffalo wings. My favorite memory was the Tralf , a jazz venue that all the old great jazz musicians would hit in Buffalo on the east coast. I would go there every time I wasn't working nights and listen to Jazz. I would get buffalo wings to go and take them back to my apartment. I would drive across the border and stare at Niagara falls in wonder. It's just a great, great place and I love Buffalo.
PatrickDuffy_15 karma
Well, I think you're pretty much in control of all of your days. 42 years ago when I met my wife, she introduced me to the philosophical practice of Buddhism. That has a very large effect on my day-to-day state of mind, and my ability to assume responsibility for everything, including my dark days.
PatrickDuffy_13 karma
If I assume responsibility for the dark days, it means I can alter them.
mnspenpal7 karma
I also follow the Buddhist practices and have a shrine to Tara in my room. Everyday I pray and send out positive vibes to everyone in the universe. And yes, if you can face the darkness and accept it, you can move on much quicker.
bdubyageo6 karma
Growing up in southern Oregon, there was a rumor that you had a residence somewhere in the area. If so, do you have any favorite places in SoOR?
PatrickDuffy_13 karma
Yup! I've had my home in southern Oregon for over 20 years now. I love the area. I think it's fortunately one of the un-tampered parts of nature that continue to thrive. There's probably the most famous river in terms of the migration of salmon and steelhead, which is in that area. There's a cultural mecca for the Ashland Shakespeare festival. So it's a very wonderful, interesting place to live. So I plan to live there (non-working time) for the rest of my life!
missbridy5 karma
Do you wear your real wedding ring on the show? You've had the same wedding ring for Pamela, April, and Ann :)
PatrickDuffy_9 karma
Yes, it's the same wedding ring!
People are watching the show entirely too closely. It is my real wedding ring that I've been married to my wife for 42 years with. I figure it's the real deal and rather than taking it off and exchanging it on a daily basis, I should use the real one.
PatrickDuffy_7 karma
I don't have a favorite movie as an absolute. I have movies that I always re-watch in different genres. Green Gables is one of my favorite romantic 1940's movies. The Wild Bunch is one of my favorite Peckinpah westerns. Moonstruck is one of my favorite feel-good movies. The Red Shoes I think is a brilliant piece of filmmaking from the 1930s. It depends on everything. I'm addicted to my TMC movie classics, so I'm always being re-educated and educated.
hanni905 karma
when you look at your overall career, can you say that you're proud? are there projects you wish you took on? are there projects you regret doing? who do you think is the most talented actor in hollywood today? who is the most talented actress? also, was there any tension or fighting on the set of step by step?
PatrickDuffy_14 karma
In my career, I would say that the benefit of aging is that you actually do get a little better in your craft. I think I'm doing my best work now. I believe the production of Art on the west end in London was the turning point for that moment, so that would be two of my favorites. I can't say I wish I did anything, because I've worked consistently so I've obviously picked things that kept me working. I've auditioned for things I didn't get which turned out to be wonderful projects, but I think they were wonderful because the people who got them were better in that role than I would have been. I definitely think Harrison Ford is a better Indiana Jones. I think Mark Hamill was better in Star Wars. So all of those things - actors audition for hundreds of things, and get one. The role goes to the best person for the job.
No - even the ones that didn't turn out well were learning moments, "a teachable moment." I've done good work and not-so-good work. And the not-so-good work is even more incentivizing than the good work.
I think that's an impossible question to answer for the same reason you can't say who's the best athlete in the world. At any given moment, anyone can far exceed anyone else in a particular moment. There are actors I enjoy watching, and that doesn't mean they are the best actors, they just appeal to me in a certain role. I wouldn't put a name out there as being the best actor or best actress.
No, STEP BY STEP was truly a family atmosphere. We rallied around each other under every possible set of circumstances as a family. I think that Suzanne and I because of our close relationships (we became so close that all of the children who played our kids on the show responded as if we were a real family) - I have said, and I will stand by- I have never had a bad day of work in 35 years.
mrs5054 karma
Hi Patrick! I've been watching Dallas with my mum ever since I was a little kid, she has all the old episodes on dvd, we're huge fans! Here's my question: What's your fondest memory of Larry Hagman? Compliments for the way you handled his passing in the show (my mum and I cried throughout the whole episode) and I'm really sorry for your loss.
PatrickDuffy_12 karma
My favorite memories of Larry are every time I was in his presence for 35 years. He was indeed my closest friend. And I can't for the life of me pick one out of 35 years that it any more or less important than any other one.
mrs5052 karma
thanks a lot for answering my question! I've just called my mum to tell her and she sends her regards :) I wish you the best, can't imagine what it must feel like to lose your closest friend
PatrickDuffy_8 karma
Well, thank you. I lost Larry's company, but certainly not his presence. I think that's the mark of true friendship, or if it's your spouse, true love. That person is always in your life, whether they are present or not.
PatrickDuffy_7 karma
Well, I think just planning the future is a plan for the future! I plan to be around a while, and that's my plan. I don't make any real long distance plans, right now we're crossing our fingers that we'll do a season 4 of DALLAS. In the interim, in 4 days my wife and I will return to our home in Oregon and spend the summer months there, and hopefully we travel back to Dallas sometime in September and return shooting!
typewritermcrevenue3 karma
Hi Mr. Duffy,
I loved your appearance on "Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job!". You were the last person I expected to make an appearance on that show. What led you to work with those guys, and did you enjoy it?
PatrickDuffy_6 karma
Ever since I would say both of my children were teenagers, I rely on them for advice as to what is appropriate for this time. Being older and out of the loop, I don't always know what's in fashion. I did that show because both of my boys said I MUST do it. And I loved it! I love that kind of humor anyway. I just never think the public is ready for me to do it. As soon as they said "you're going to stick a piece of licorice up your nose" I was in.
manyoka0003 karma
What do you like the most about Linda Gray? I know that you are great friends for so many years.
PatrickDuffy_8 karma
Linda is the 3rd musketeer. Larry and Linda and I were literally - from the day we read the pilot script - the closest of friends. And now that Larry is gone, it's the two musketeers. There's not a false bone in her body. She's a remarkable woman, she's absolutely stunning at 75 years of age, and she is now my closest friend on DALLAS and in life. The strange way that the business can reward you in more than just financial ways. She and Larry were prime examples, and now she carries the torch.
defjamblaster3 karma
how did they get you guys to reprise you roles from Dallas on the family guy episode? what did you think about it at that time?
PatrickDuffy_6 karma
The Family Guy, that was to me another interesting and fun thing that I seem to have the ability to forget how important DALLAS was. When Family Guy decided to do the Bobby in the shower moment, I thought it was cute, and then I realized how many people thought it was wonderful. And again, it's one of those real pivotal memory moments for me in gratitude of my career.
andreassangalbi13 karma
I remember you in the Man of Atlantis. And I started to watch Dallas just because you were there. Hello from Italy. ;-)
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
Wow! Well hello back from Hollywood to Italy! I am glad that fans followed me to my next job - sometimes fans become enamored of you being a character and don't follow you to other parts. So many people who have come to know me from DALLAS found me because of Man of Atlantis. So thank you!
Atroxa3 karma
I am a huge fan of Dallas. I haven't watched the new series yet because I am on Season 12 of the old one.
I have a couple of questions. How is it that everyone on that show was so good at riding horses and doing rodeo-type things?
What was your favorite plot on the show? What was the plot you felt was most ridiculous?
PatrickDuffy_8 karma
Because we had WONDERFUL stunt men! On the original show, Daddy was a film star for 25-30 years doing mostly westerns ,he was an excellent rider. I grew up on Montana and was on horses from the time I was 6 years old. Larry was a natural athlete, he didn't ride much on the show but was capable. A lot of actors came on the show who weren't that good, but we had wonderful doubles and stunt people so they looked terrific.
Most ridiculous was the final episode of DALLAS on the 13th season. I just thought it stretched everything. I didn't like that episode at all. It didn't affect the enjoyment of going to work every day, but I thought introducing magic and all this other stuff was just inappropriate. There's no real favorite episode i have. They all tend to blend together in a totality. I did truly enjoy when we were on location in Texas, as opposed to being in southern California doing the rest of the show.
Mynameisfez2 karma
Hi Patrick!
What was your main inspiration earlier that made you want to become an actor?
PatrickDuffy_6 karma
I was going to be an architect. And I was enrolling in the school of architecture at the University of Washington when I was a senior in High school. My drama teacher pulled me aside prior to graduation, and said that some people actually made their living doing what I did in school productions. She volunteered to write a letter of recommendation to a very exclusive acting program, and by virtue of that and the auditioning process I changed my major, became a drama major at the University of Washington, and I owe it all to my high school drama teacher!
ChuckEye2 karma
How does it feel to be the father of that amazing playwright, Padraic Duffy?
PatrickDuffy_5 karma
Ah! Somebody knows my son.
Both my wife and I are incredibly proud of both of our sons. They are remarkable people, young men, great fathers, great husbands. That's what is the main source of our pride in them. They are so intelligent and capable, both in the arts field, and Padraic as playwright is going to be known throughout the world eventually. Most playwrights don't hit their stride until their 40's or 50's, unfortunately. He is worthy of every accolade he will eventually receive.
PatrickDuffy_7 karma
That's a very funny question because very early on when I first met my wife, this would be in 1972, she was teaching and I was assisting in a ballet summercamp in the northwest. The entire ballet company lived together in these big houses, and would take turns cooking. One day it was her and my turn to cook, and we cooked tacos.
When you are 24 years old you can put away a LOT of food. And they were small tacos, but I could easily down a dozen of them.
Nowadays I'm a 2 taco man.
jonbowen2 karma
After skimming IMDB it seems that you worked with The Most Interesting Man in the World! How did that feel?
PatrickDuffy_4 karma
Well, it's interesting, that Jonathan was on DALLAS off and on during several seasons, and then I lost track of him obviously after the show was cancelled. And then all of a sudden here's a beer commercial with this sort of exotic, you never really know where he's from, Spain or something, and he's advertising Dos Equis, and I'm thinking "wait a minute! that's jonathan!" which is NOT to say that he's not the most interesting man in the world, but I found it very wonderful that it's a completely fictionalized character and what a great character for an actor to have a job like that. I thought for a minute you were going to say Larry, because he was the most interesting man in the world.
I don't think they ever say his name.
FordyceRedbugs2 karma
I am reseeding my lawn this spring and am using Pennington Seed Kentuckey 31 Tall Fescue Penkoted. Once i put the seed down how often should it be watered? What are your thoughts on fertilizer?
PatrickDuffy_13 karma
Again, reverse order! I think all fertilizer should be organic. You can do a lot of things, even weed control, etc. with a gluten/water mixture, which is completely organic and healthy for the soil. Any questions about watering & laying down seeds is completely geographically dependent. The best thing is to go to your local gardening book and see what your geographic rating is, which changes per square mile. Find out where you're located and plant accordingly.
ugocapeto2 karma
Patrick:
Big fan.
Just wondering how on Earth you ended up doing a duet with the French singer Mireille Mathieu.
To celebrate your IAMA, here's a drawing I painstakingly made of Mark Harris, "The Man from Atlantis" : http://i.imgur.com/kOexroF.png
PatrickDuffy_6 karma
Well, if you've seen the duet with Mireille, the reason is NOT because I was a singer.
Thank you for the drawing!
The reason I did the song with Mireille was strictly because of the popularity of DALLAS in French. She is an EXTREMELY well-known singer in France, and really all of Europe, sort of on the level of a present-day Edith Piaf. Because of the celebrity status that I had by being on DALLAS, they thought it would be cute if we sang a duet together.
it is the first and last time I sang in public.
PatrickDuffy_7 karma
I am! It was not my voice, however, because they did it without my endorsement or asking me or anything, so it was just somebody's voiceover voice going "Hello, I'm television's Patrick Duffy." But i consider that one of the high points of the Patrick Duffy lexicon and my career. I think it's terrific, I think those two guys are wonderful. And for as much as they've done for me, I should send them a basket of fruit or something.
jimtduffy1 karma
Hi Patrick, do you have any Duffy ancestry from Meath in Ireland? I'm going family research and trying to find descendants of a Jane Duffy who went to the US in the late 19th century.
PatrickDuffy_4 karma
My father's name was Patrick, and he went through Ellis Island in 1921 with his 10 children and wife. I do have relatives, far distant relatives, in county Meath. My grandmother was a McNay. My sister actually chronicles as much of the family's genetic history as is knowable. I do know that county Meath was the birthplace of my grandfather. And I met Agnes Powell, so that is a tangential family relative arm in the area, about 15-20 years ago when I was in Ireland. We're scattered throughout, I believe, now.
Damadar1 karma
Do you enjoy acting as much as you thought you would?
If you weren't acting, what do you think you'd be doing?
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
Well in reverse order, if I weren't an actor, I would be a carpenter or an architect. And I enjoy acting more every single time i step on any stage, I feel it. To me it is the most rewarding, comfortable environment to express oneself.
PatrickDuffy_5 karma
I'm guessing now (it was quite a while ago) but a good half a dozen legitimate possibilities, and several others just for the fun of it. We had Daddy shooting his son, we had Momma shooting JR, those were never viable choices, but several, maybe 5-6 potential shooters were filmed in order to hide the real one.
cab19791 karma
Hi Patrick:
What was it like to work with Larry Hagman? How was it adjusting without him on the new Dallas?
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
Larry and I worked together probably better than anybody else I've ever worked with. We had the ability to step outside our JR body characters in an instant and have fun and flip immediately back into character to shoot a scene. That, to me, was an indication of not just our friendship but the level of capability of Larry. And the transition has been complete now, working without him, which is not to say the minute that you step on the set you don't think of him. He is also always present in terms of the script content of the present & future shows of DALLAS.
popdisaster001 karma
Hi Patrick, thanks for doing this AMA. What would you say your favorite thing about acting is? And do you prefer acting in more dramatic roles or more comedic roles?
PatrickDuffy_4 karma
Again, acting is acting, and the enjoyment - there's an immediate enjoyment from your environment when you do a comedy piece. Most significantly, when you do a show like STEP BY STEP, with a live audience . Dramatically, a lot of your satisfaction comes from within, and you're self-motivated for your performance. But I find both equally satisfying.
AxisFeaman1 karma
Dear Mr. Duffy! First I would like to welcome from Hungary. After Dallas I was seen you again the "Step by Step" , which is I also highly loved. what roles you're feeling more imminent, the comic or serious? I apologize for my English
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
I apologize for my english as well!
Again, because of the environment on DALLAS with my dear friends, and then the environment on STEP BY STEP with my second group of dear friends, both were equally enjoyable.
PatrickDuffy_5 karma
It's amazing I was born on St. Patrick's Day. I'm named Patrick not because of that. It was already destined that I be called Patrick after my grandfather. My sister is named Peggy after our grandmother. So not knowing when I was going to be born, I was already named and I just happened to pop out on St. Patrick's Day.
PatrickDuffy_5 karma
I almost never turn down work. The only reason I would turn down work is if I were already employed.
I have turned down reality-based Television, celebrity situations like Dancing with the Stars, things like that. They just don't fit my concept of who I am and what I enjoy doing. But other than that, an acting job is an acting job. If I think I can do it appropriately, I'll take it.
fallingforlana1 karma
Hi Patrick! You've got a hot new wife on the new Dallas. What's it like with Brenda in real life? Are you two friends? Love you guys together on the show!
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
Brenda and I get along fantastic, she's the perfect wife for me. First of all, she's the tallest actress I've ever worked with. But I think on and off camera we are great friends, perfect working companions, and I think on-camera, completely suited to each other character wise.
xlebrattx1 karma
I love Dallas! It's amazing and I watch it religiously! :)
What has been your most memorable experience from both the original show and the reboot?
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
I think the most memorable experience is being reminded every time we step in public the public's appreciation of that show. In the original days, because it was before any social media, you were aware of the popularity of a show when you went out in public. That was a wonderful experience for 13 years. Now, on my cell phone, I am reminded on a daily basis, from around the world, as to how much people appreciate the new series and the original one. And I will always be forever grateful for that.
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
I think it would be patience. I think if everybody could take even a moment and exhibit patience, the world would be a lot better place. I don't think many knee-jerk responses produce value.
hannahstorm51 karma
Hi Patrick, you were always my favorite on Dallas, you're fantastic, and my question is funny, hopefully, are you a ticklish guy? If yes, where are your tickly spots? :)
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
The most frustrating thing in the world is when people try to tickle me, because I am not a ticklish person. Every once in a while, somebody will think it's funny on set, but for some reason - although I feel it as tickling me - I don't respond to tickling. I can be tickled anywhere and it doesn't phase me. It feels good but it doesn't make me giggle.
howimetyourMURICA1 karma
Do you recall the time you were the leg of a snowy mountain creature that weaves baskets?
PatrickDuffy_4 karma
Well, I've never had Shiner Bock, so I can't say if I like it. Being a 2 taco man means I'm a 1 beer man, if i have a beer. I don't metabolize things like I used to, so I try to avoid things that make me have to work out.
katherinedevir1 karma
Salute Patrick, here's a silly question, tell us something we'd be surprised to know about you? :) Kiss from France!!
PatrickDuffy_4 karma
Without it being false modesty, I think I rank as an absolutely ordinary person. There is nothing extraordinary. I think people confuse your public persona, your publicity-worthy job, meaning that you're a publicity-worthy person, and I think those two things don't necessarily co-exist. My day-to-day life is absolutely pedestrian and ordinary, and the most enjoyable part of my life.
mnspenpal1 karma
Are you planning on any more stage appearances in UK, or maybe being a guest at the London Film & Comic Con? Maybe you've already been there and I just forgot. Old age and all that! ;)
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
I haven't made any planes to do any more stage work. It requires an inordinate amount of time and effort, which I find I don't have as much of anymore. I did a comic-con in San Diego a few years ago, very enjoyable, would do more if the opportunity arose.
St3ve861 karma
hey 2 questions for you I hope you have time for answering 1. where do you see your character bobby heading on dallas? 2. what are some differences between working on the show back then vs. now if any, and which era do you like better?
And thanks so much I am a huge fan of the show, and really enjoy your work btw im 28 years old and have no seen every episode of dallas and the two movies it made lol
PatrickDuffy_4 karma
The difference between DALLAS in the 80s and DALLAS In 2014 is the public allows the characters to be more human. That means where I see Bobby going in the future is connected to what I've done the last 2 years. There are more gray areas of things, things that the moral hero of the show is allowed to do. Bobby's character exhibits more darker sides to the human condition than the Bobby of the 1980's, and still be the heroic central figure. I think that's healthy. Bobby will never break a certain morale code, but his parameters have widened, and I think that's appropriate.
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
Apparently so! I would love to have been in the writing room when people pitched celery for his arm and Patrick Duffy for his right leg, you know?
Cparsonslv1 karma
How'd you like being referenced in Family Guy? "Patrick Duffy will be here to read your hate mail." Do you actually get hate mail?
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
I've never gotten hate mail. I think people respond to Patrick Duffy in the light of the characters that I've played, which have all been generally very good, heroic participants. So their mail (and now the social media mail) has always been very positive. The extent to which people get upset with me is usually plot-driven - how could you do this or that - but they are generally speaking in terms of the character on the show.
seismicor1 karma
Hi Patrick, did the kids on Step by Step played any pranks on you off camera?
PatrickDuffy_2 karma
Not generally, they were young enough as actors that they enjoyed themselves almost as if it were recess. But they didn't play practical jokes nor did any of us on any other actor. Which I think allowed us to have complete trust in each other on and offscreen.
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
The Cody character, I'm assuming you mean Sasha's. Sasha is still in the acting game in Los Angeles. As far as I know, because of his personal prosess, he still does many martial arts type film projects. That's as far as I know what he's doing right now.
hlcmom1 karma
Hey there, I have been a long time viewer of Dallas, back in the day and the recent seasons. Please say Hello to me so I can brag to sisters, they would be so jealous. Love you and the show!!!!
tditz92231 karma
Patrick, I grew up with shows like Full House & Step by Step. Your character was a construction foreman which I felt came natural to you. 1. Have you worked in construction because you were very believable. 2. What would you be doing if you weren't acting? 3. Who have you met that has made you feel star struck?
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
Being starstruck? The first time I was starstruck was when I met James Coburn. And I always get startstruck when I meet any actor I've seen on television. I met Kevin Costner at a function and was very starstruck.
If I weren't acting, I would be a carpenter. My father was a carpenter, and I learned 90% of what I know today from him. So that's probably what I would be doing now. So either architecture or carpentry, which are very closely related.
PatrickDuffy_6 karma
I would say it's more similar to STEP BY STEP because it's incredibly happy, positive, uplifting, no duplicitousness or backstabbing. I do wish I had the Ewing's money, however.
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
We as a cast get approached about the possibility. Suzanne and I would love the opportunity to work together again. If scripts and circumstances were appropriate, I'm sure something would happen.
OFTHEHILLPEOPLE1 karma
Important question: who would you rather shoot, a duck sized JR or 100 JR sized ducks?
I guess the real question is would the whole thing be a dream?
PatrickDuffy_5 karma
Well, first of all, I'd never shoot JR.
Blood is thicker than anything.
And I have long since even stopped my duck hunting! Which was a natural part of my childhood, but nowadays anytime I want to eat fish or fowl or meat, my supermarket is the farthest place I'd go hunting.
zacharywcox1 karma
Good afternoon Mr. Duffy. I'm the host of a movie based podcast in Indianapolis, IN. We watch a movie, conduct interviews, provide commentary/trivia, and generally have a good time. It would be an absolute pleasure to have you on the show for a 15 minute interview before we watch "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story." I'm interested in your cameo appearance in the film, your career, and we'll talk about any projects you're interested in promoting. I appreciate you taking the time to field my request and look forward to future correspondence.
-Zach
PatrickDuffy_3 karma
Please private message me your email and I will forward to my publicist.
PatrickDuffy_4 karma
Aaaaah. Well that's not the first time I have been confused with Alan Thicke. Probably a good dozen times, people will come up to me and say they enjoy my son's singing. It goes with the territory. It means, many times, that they probably know the difference but are confused at the moment because of being excited. I never take offense at that. And I hope if it happens to Alan, whom I've met several times, that he would have the same response.
tikal70740 karma
You once were on South Park, did you find it funny?
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