Patrick Duffy

Patrick G. Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American character actor of stage and film. He is best known for his role on the CBS television drama Dallas, where he played Bobby Ewing from 1978 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1991. He is also well known for his role on the ABC television sitcom Step by Step as Frank Lambert, the husband of Carol Lambert, played by Suzanne Somers, from 1991 to 1998.

He appeared on the July 19th, 1999 installment of Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect on ABC where the producers were trying to build a religiously diverse panel to discuss the meaning of life.

The planned discussion of the meaning of life was overtaken by the untimely death of JFK Jr., his wife and her sister. Here's an excerpt:

Bill: [...] you're a practicing Buddhist.

Patrick: Mm-hmm.

Bill: For how long?

Patrick: 30 years.

Bill: 30 years.

Patrick: Yeah.

Bill: Now, what would they say about something like this [tragic death of JFK Jr]? How do they deal with life?

Patrick: Well, it's a completely different concept, because it deals solely with individual karma.

Bill: Right.

Patrick: And it deals with the fact, in essence, you know, come right out and say it, that there is no God, that the individual is God.

Bill: Right.

Patrick: And that's as far as it goes. I mean, literally, you are the sole person responsible for all causes in your life.

Bill: Right. Buddha is not a God.

Patrick: No, Buddha is a teacher.

Bill: Right.

Patrick: Which was what Christ was, in my opinion, in terms of historical relevance.

Bill: Right. But, Buddha made a point in his life to say, "Don't make me a God."

Patrick: Yeah, he said there is there is no distinctions between any person -- myself, you or the universe.

--07