He was the star of one of the most-talked storylines of one of the most-watched series of the eighties.
As Bobby in Dallas, Patrick Duffy was actually a household name right from the late seventies to the early nineties when the American soap brought cliffhanger drama and sparkling glamour into British lives.
In its world of double-dealing oil tycoons, Bobby was Mr Nice Guy to scheming brother J R Ewing but now North East audiences are set to see a rather different side when the actor takes to the stage in Darlington next week - with partner Linda Purl - in a role he has referred to as "Bobby Ewing with no morals".
