Patrick Duffy

A throwback to the stalwart, ramrod straight and dependable leading men of Hollywood's Golden Age, Patrick Duffy rose to fame as Bobby Ewing, the "good son" of the Texas oil clan on "Dallas" (CBS, 1978-1991) after a decade of largely anonymous work on television. Duffy's kindly Bobby ran in direct opposition to his scheming brother J.R. (Larry Hagman), which fueled much of the duplicitous backbiting that gave the show its lifeblood. He was also at the center of the program's sudsiest romance between Bobby and wife Pamela (Victoria Principal). Both factors contributed to Duffy's considerable popularity among viewers, who were shocked by his decision to leave the show in 1984; his return the following year resulted in one of the most jaw-dropping storylines in television history. Post-"Dallas," Duffy starred in the popular but lightweight sitcom "Step By Step" (ABC/CBS, 1991-98) and logged time on the daytime soap "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS, 1987- ). After serving as producer on two "Dallas" reunion TV movies, the actor returned as Bobby for the series reboot of "Dallas" (TNT, 2012-14), one of cable's biggest hits of the season. Knowing full well that he would forever be the saintly son of the Ewing clan in the public's eye, Duffy graciously continued to give viewers what they wanted.