Alex Carson
Although the Covid-19 pandemic certainly hasn’t been a positive experience for the world in general; that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been some positive things to come about from it! One such positive thing that inadvertently came about from this global tragedy is the unlikely romance of classic television actors Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl. Even disregarding the fact that this romance came about during quarantine; there are also several other tragic aspects in these figures’ pasts that lead to this relationship. Join Facts Verse as we take a look at why Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl’s relationship has disturbing origins.
Patrick Duffy is a 71-year-old television actor best known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the show Dallas. The actor has had a few tragedies in his past; from the death of his longtime wife to the murder of his parents. Despite this, the actor has recently managed to find new love in the form of fellow television actress Linda Purl. Their romance came about under somewhat unique circumstances, with the two forming a relationship over video calls during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Patrick’s wife and the mother of his children, Carlyn Rosser, died four years ago from a spontaneous heart attack. Since that time, Patrick hasn’t been actively pursuing a new relationship. Before he met Linda, Patrick felt as if he’s still married to Carlyn. According to Patrick, he saw Carlyn everywhere he went and still felt her presence. However, it appears that meeting Linda proved to be the catalyst that the actor needed to move on from the tragic death of his wife.
The two began talking to each other on FaceTime and Zoom calls during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Patrick, the two talked nearly every night and their conversations oftentimes lasted for a few hours. After a couple of months of developing their relationship, both of them gradually became ready to meet in person. As soon as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions lifted; Patrick took it upon himself to drive 23 hours to Linda’s home in Colorado Springs. As soon as they were face to face, the two kissed. From there, the romance only gotten stronger.
The death of his beloved wife certainly isn’t the only tragedy that actor Patrick Duffy has experienced in his life. In 1986, the actor’s parents brutally murdered by two teenagers. Patrick’s parents owned and operated a tavern in the town of Boulder, Montana. The incident occurred after Patrick’s father had kicked the two teenagers out of the tavern. The two teenagers came back later with guns and shot Patrick’s father and mother. The two eventually caught and convicted, then given a sentence of 75 years in prison each. One of them released in 2007, the other one released in 2015. Despite the two teenagers responsible having caught, Patrick still incredibly shaken. However, he has expressed that his wife Carlyn sharing her Buddhist faith with him gave him the power to move on.
Duffy starred on Dallas for almost 15 years, starting in 1978 and not calling it quits until 1991. Although his role as Bobby on Dallas arguably remains his most well known; it certainly isn’t the only role that the actor has performed in over the course of his career on television. He could also seen on Step By Step from 1991 to 1998. And The Bold and the Beautiful from 2006 to 2011. In 2012, Patrick reprised his role as Bobby for a Dallas reboot that focused on the younger generation of the characters from the original.
Although Linda Purl hasn’t had quite as prolific an acting portfolio as her new romantic partner, she has still had her fair share of experiences when it comes to television acting. She is best known for her two performances on Happy Days. Having played two separate characters over the course of the show’s run. She played Richie’s girlfriend in the first season. Then a completely different character in the 10th season that was a love interest for Fonzie. Her character on the show’s 10th season named Ashley Pfister, and this character is arguably Linda’s most famous role.
Linda has also had a few other notable television roles, including appearing on Matlock as the titular character’s daughter. According to Linda, it was ton of fun to be able to work with Andy Griffith. More recently, Linda has appeared on the American version of The Office, playing the mother of one of the show’s main characters. That character was secretary Pam, whose romantic tension with other main character Jim kept audiences coming back over the course of the show’s nine seasons.
In addition to her work on American television, Linda also grew up in Japan and worked on some Japanese media productions as a child. As well, she has married four times previously. If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show your support! As well, subscribe to the channel if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!
Although Linda Purl was born in Connecticut, her family moved to Japan when she was only five years old. Her father was a corporate executive for Union Carbide, and he took a position at their offices in Japan. Linda had a fine time growing up in Japan, and began working as a child star in the country. She got given a starring role in an educational children’s show at the age of 7, and maintained that role until the age of 14. As well, she could also seen in several productions from Toho, the studio that’s responsible for Godzilla and one of the biggest media giants in Japan.
After Linda and her family moved back to America, she has expressed that she had a somewhat difficult time adjusting to the culture shock. However, she eventually realized that she felt more at home in American than she did in Japan. Soon, Linda was working on Happy Days. In 1980, Linda married Desi Arnaz Jr. For those that don’t know, Desi Arnaz Jr. is the son of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. However, the two only married for a year before divorcing.
Linda married once more in 1998, this time to a screenwriter by the name of William Broyles Jr. This marriage lasted a little bit longer than the first, lasting until 1992. Linda married another screenwriter named Alexander Cary a year later, and the two married until 1999. Linda’s fourth and most recent marriage was to a man named James Vinson Adams. This marriage lasted from 2006 to 2011.
Linda’s four previous marriages stand in extreme contrast to Patrick’s one. Patrick married his only wife Carlyn in 1974 and stayed with her until her death in 2017. He and Carlyn met while touring together in a dance troupe. Patrick was the troupe’s narrator, while Carlyn was one of the dancers. Despite Carlyn being 10 years Patrick’s senior, the two hit it off almost right away. After getting married, Carlyn and Patrick had two sons. Their names are Padraic and Conor. In addition to being a dancer, Carlyn was also a concert pianist with perfect pitch.
Patrick has always expressed that Carlyn taught him how to appreciate art in a way he never could before, and that she taught him many other things about life during their nearly 50-year marriage. It was a surprise to everyone when Carlyn passed away from a heart attack, meaning that neither Patrick nor the kids had time to prepare for it. They were all devastated when Carlyn passed away, and Patrick felt as if he could never move on. Still, meeting Linda changed that.
Patrick isn’t the only one coming into this new relationship with children, as Linda also has a son of her own. Linda’s son Lucius was born during her third marriage. Linda and Alexander Cary had Lucius in 1995. After Linda and Alexander’s divorce in 1999, Lucius has remained a huge part of Linda’s life. Linda has expressed that Lucius is the true love of her life, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t also have room for a romantic partner.
Similar to Patrick, Linda likely wasn’t actively seeking a romantic partner when their relationship blossomed. Both Patrick and Linda have expressed that they feel fate brought them together in a way they couldn’t deny, and both are happier than ever in each other’s arms.
Patrick certainly must’ve felt a cosmic pull to be with Linda given that he’s willing to drive 23 hours just to see her! Patrick drove the entire trip non-stop, and recalls that he was anxious about his appearance after the daylong road trip. Before pulling up to Linda’s house, Patrick stopped the car and put on a change of clothes. As well, he rinsed his hair off with a little bit of bottled water and applied a modest amount of cologne. After he nicely groomed, he pulled up to Linda’s house and the two were finally together! There’s no telling whether this romance will last as long as Patrick and Carlyn’s, or if it will be short-lived like Linda’s previous marriages. Still, it stands as a great example of something beautiful arising from some fairly strange origins!
Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl certainly aren’t the most well known celebrities, but there are probably at least a few roles that television viewers will recognize one or both of them from. Comment down below to share how you best remember Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl, or if you think that their romance is going to be the start of something big! As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!
