Dallas star Patrick Duffy, 71, opens up about falling in love with Happy Days’ Linda Purl, 65



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Patrick Duffy sees Linda Purl as the “gift COVID gave him”.

The 71-year-old actor – who played Bobby Ewing in Dallas – started dating Linda, 65, during the coronavirus lockdown earlier this year, and he admits their romance evolved under a unique set of circumstances.

“ This is the gift COVID gave me – Linda Purl is the woman of my life, ” the actor told Extra this week.

Happy man: Patrick Duffy sees Linda Purl as the

Happy man: Patrick Duffy sees Linda Purl as the “gift COVID gave him”; photographed in July 2019

He loves it: The 71-year-old actor started dating Linda, 65, during the coronavirus lockdown earlier this year, and he admits their romance has evolved under a unique set of circumstances;  Purl shown in 2004

He loves it: The 71-year-old actor started dating Linda, 65, during the coronavirus lockdown earlier this year, and he admits their romance has evolved under a unique set of circumstances; Purl shown in 2004

His wife Carlyn Rosser died almost four years ago of a heart attack and he was not actively seeking a relationship when he was reintroduced to Linda.

However, he is now convinced that their budding romance is the result of “fate”.

Patrick – who was married to Carlyn from 1974 until his death in 2017 – told Extra: ‘I wasn’t looking for him. I didn’t feel like I needed it… and then fate fell! and changed the perspective.

“We started texting, then FaceTiming, then zoomed in… We zoomed in two to three hours every night… You get to know someone well by doing that.

Cowboy Heart:

Cowboy Heart: “This is the gift COVID gave me – Linda Purl is the woman of my life,” the actor told Extra this week; seen here as Bobby Ewing on Dallas

Dallas Days: Left to right Steve Kanaly (as Ray Krebbs), Patrick (as Bobby Ewing), Victoria Principal (as Pamels Barnes Ewing), (seated), Barbara Bel Geddes (as Eleanor Southworth 'Miss Ellie' Ewing ), Jim Davis (1909-1981) (as John Ross 'Jock' Ewing), Larry Hagman (as John Ross 'JR' Ewing, Jr.), Charlene Tilton (as Lucy Ewing) (in red) and Linda Gray (as Sue Ellen) Ewing)

Dallas Days: Left to right, Steve Kanaly (as Ray Krebbs), Patrick (as Bobby Ewing), Victoria Principal (as Pamels Barnes Ewing), (seated), Barbara Bel Geddes (as Eleanor Southworth ‘Miss Ellie’ Ewing ), Jim Davis (1909-1981) (as John Ross ‘Jock’ Ewing), Larry Hagman (as John Ross ‘JR’ Ewing, Jr.), Charlene Tilton (as Lucy Ewing) (in red) and Linda Gray (as Sue Ellen) Ewing)

The actor loved chatting with Linda during the lockdown, and once the restrictions were relaxed, he wasted no time rushing to see her.

He shared: ‘At the end of those two and a half months we felt a little different from just a casual friendship so I packed my car, drove 20 hours and was at his doorstep. .

“I asked permission if I could kiss her, and we’ve been together ever since.

Classic Series: Purl’s best-known role was Ashley Pfister in Happy Days Season 10 in the early 1980s; always Happy Days with Henry Winkler

Patrick previously admitted that his romance with Linda was a total surprise.

The actor explained that after his wife’s death in 2017, he never imagined he would fall in love again.

He confessed: ‘I never thought for a minute that this would happen again. I never thought I would feel this way again.

He People earlier this month, he was dating the Happy Days actress.

New love: Patrick Duffy of Dallas, 71, revealed this week that he is dating his old friend, Linda Purl of Happy Days, 65;  presented in October 2019

Back together: The two were old friends before losing each other years earlier, People reported;  shown in 2018

New love: Duffy, 71, revealed that he and his old friend Linda Purl of Happy Days, 65, started dating after falling out of contact years earlier, according to People

“I’m in an incredibly happy relationship,” Duffy said of his new love.

It was a long drive to see her.

“ I loaded my car and drove for 20 hours and ended up at his door just to see if it was real, ” he said.

Duffy seemed delighted with the state of his new romance: “ I never thought I would feel this again. ”

His wife’s death is not just a tragedy he faces.

On November 18, 1986, at the height of his success in Dallas, Duffy’s parents were killed by two teenage boys, Kenneth Miller and Sean Wentz, during an armed robbery at their tavern in Boulder, Montana.

The two were convicted and sentenced to 75 years in prison, though Miller was released in 2007 and Wentz was released in 2015.

Top of the world:

Top of the world: “I never thought I would feel this way again,” Duffy said. He experienced a tragedy at the height of his fame in the 1980s, after his parents were murdered in an armed robbery; shown on New Dallas with Barbara Strong

Duffy is best known for playing Dallas from 1978 to 1985 and 1986 to 1991, where he played Bobby Ewing, the brother of Larry Hagman’s JR Ewing.

Her other major television roles have been in ABC’s Step By Step (1991-1998) and the soap opera The Bold And The Beautiful from 2006 to 2011.

Most recently, he reprized his character in a Dallas continuation focusing on a younger generation, which ran from 2012 to 2014.

Purl’s best-known role was as Ashley Pfister in Happy Days Season 10 in the early 1980s.

They were as they were: Duffy and his wife Carlyn Rosser attend the fifth annual Golden Boot Awards in 1987

They Were As They Were: Duffy and his wife Carlyn Rosser attended the fifth Golden Boot Awards in 1987

She also played the daughter of the main character of Andy Griffith in the first season of Matlock and occasionally played the role of Pam Beesley’s mother in The Office.

Purl was married four times, first to Desi Arnaz Jr. from 1980 to 1981. She married screenwriter William Broyles Jr. in 1988, but their divorce was finalized in 1992.

Purl was married to fellow screenwriter Alexander Cary from 1993 to 1999, and her most recent marriage was to James Vinson Adams from 2006 to 2011.

Meanwhile, Patrick’s Dallas co-star Linda Gray had sad news to share on Monday.

The 80-year-old actress revealed on Instagram that her 56-year-old son Jeff Thrasher has passed away.

“A celebration of the life of my son Jeff. He was the cutest, funniest, sweetest human being ….. he brought such love to the world and was loved by everyone! said the TV veteran. “May his trip be magical. ❤️. ‘

A TV Queen: Linda Gray of the '80s hit nighttime drama Dallas had sad news to share on Monday.  Seen with Larry Hagman in Dallas in 1981

A TV Queen: Linda Gray of the ’80s hit nighttime drama Dallas had sad news to share on Monday. Seen with Larry Hagman in Dallas in 1981

His supporters have expressed their shock at the tragic news, saying, “I’m sorry for your loss” and “I don’t know what to say! I send you love and a big hug from Scotland.

“Linda, I’m so sorry. I send you all my love and strength, ”wrote her Dallas co-star Jordana Brewster.

Linda shared an image from the back of Jeff riding a bike on a street filled with fall leaves.

The next photo was of his name drawn in the sand with a heart around it as the waves crashed in the background.

According to Soap Hub, Jeff was battling leukemia.

Jeff’s father is Ed Thrasher, who Linda was married to from 1962 to 1983.

Sad loss: The 80-year-old star revealed on Instagram that her 56-year-old son Jeff Thrasher has passed away

Sad loss: The 80-year-old star revealed on Instagram that her 56-year-old son Jeff Thrasher has passed away

A Mother's Pain: The star shared an image from the back of Jeff riding a bike on a street filled with fall leaves.  The next photo was of her name drawn in the sand with a heart around it as waves crashed into the background

A Mother’s Pain: The star shared an image from the back of Jeff riding a bike on a street filled with fall leaves. The next photo was of her name drawn in the sand with a heart around it as waves crashed into the background

Linda also has daughter Kehly Sloane, 54, married to Lance Sloane; together they have two children.

Jeff worked as a director and television producer and his most recent project was Junior Chef Showdown.

In Junior Chef Showdown, ‘the best and brightest young cooks compete in challenges that test their cooking skills and ingenuity, but only one pint-sized chef will be named the best in the land’ ‘.

Back to the good old days: Gray, husband Ed Thrasher, son Jeff Thrasher and daughter Kehly in 1982

Back to the good old days: Gray, husband Ed Thrasher, son Jeff Thrasher and daughter Kehly in 1982

He also produced The Amazing Race Canada and Canada’s Smartest Person.

In 2017 he directed Furze World Wonders and in 2015 Jeff worked on Vegas Rat Rods.

Linda made her modeling debut and then rose to fame when she played Sue Ellen Ewing alongside Larry Hagman in Dallas from 1978 to 1989.

The brunette beauty also worked with Sylvester Stallone on Oscar in 1991 and Models Inc from 1994 to 1995.

She returned to Dallas in 1996 and 1998 for spinoffs and also appeared in the reboot from 2012 to 2014.

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