Patrick Duffy biography

At the end of that season, his character Bobby was killed off, or so viewers thought.

After Duffy's departure, Dallas took a dive in the ratings. He was convinced to return to the show, and the series writers explained away Bobby's earlier death in a famous shower scene where Duffy's character reappeared and his demise was described as "only a dream." While this tactic was not popular with everyone,

it has become a noted part of television history.

Not long after returning to Dallas, Duffy suffered a great personal tragedy. His parents, Terrence and Babe, were killed during a robbery attempt at their tavern in Boulder, Montana. Out of respect for his parents, production on Dallas was stopped briefly.

Starring in 'Step by Step'

Dallas finally wrapped up in 1991 after 10 seasons. Without skipping a beat, Duffy moved on to the situation comedy Step by Step. He co-starred with Suzanne Somers in this domestic comedy about a blended family. The characters each had three children from previous relationships, but were polar opposites offering up lots of punchlines. While it was fairly light fare, the show proved to be popular, lasting for seven years.

Since that time, Duffy has made guest appearances on numerous television series such as Touched by an Angel and Reba. In 2006, he began a recurring role on the daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful.

Return to 'Dallas'

Duffy, along with fellow Dallas original cast members Linda Gray and Larry Hagman, reprised their roles in the 2012 television reboot of the show. In the new version of Dallas, Duffy's character Bobby has a new wife, played by Brenda Strong, and a son, played by Jesse Metcalfe. His feud with his villainous brother J.R., played by Larry Hagman, continued in the series. On his official website Duffy wrote of the new Dallas:  "I can't be happier with everything concerned with the show. First and foremost the fact that I get to work with my two best friends Larry and Linda once again."

Sadly, in November 2012, months after the new Dallas debuted, Hagman died due to complications from cancer. Duffy tweeted about his onscreen brother's death: "My friend is taking a break. . .Love Patrick."

Off-screen, Duffy has been writing a trilogy of science fiction books based on Man from Atlantis. He has been married to his wife Carlyn since 1974. The couple has two children, Padraic and Conor.

© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.