Bobby James Ewing
Encyclopedia
Robert James Ewing, commonly called Bobby Ewing, is a fictional character central to the long running TV soap opera Dallas
. The youngest son of Jock
and Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy
between 1978
and 1991
, although both the actor and the character left the show briefly during 1985-1986. The show was originally planned to center around Bobby's Romeo and Juliet-style marriage to Pamela Barnes
(Victoria Principal
), who was from the rival Barnes family. However, the show ended up being centralized around his older brother, J.R. Ewing
(Larry Hagman
), as it became clear that he was the breakout character.
Bobby was a successful (though reluctant) oil baron, like his father and brother, but he lacked J.R.'s ruthlessness and insisted on playing fair which resulted in his limited success. Bobby could be seen as kind-spirited or naive in what was portrayed as a vicious, cut-throat business. When they weren't at odds with each other, the brothers had many run-ins with his brother in law Cliff Barnes
, and later more formidable enemies such as Jeremy Wendell and Carter McKay, successive heads of huge oil conglomerate Westar.
The oil industry was not Bobby's only interest. From time to time he also took part in the raising of cattle
on the family ranch
, Southfork
. He was also a state senator in Austin
for a while. For several years, Bobby drove a red third generation Mercedes-Benz
SL with the license plate EWING 4. In 1987, J.R. replaced Bobby's destroyed Mercedes with a black Maserati Biturbo
cabriolet (the Mercedes was driven by Pam on the day of her fateful crash). After that, Bobby owned a bronze-colored Jaguar XJ-S convertible. In season 13 he once again drives a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
in bronze of the fourth generation from 1989.
Bobby's most defining character trait was his altruistic desire to do the right thing. This almost always put him in the cross-hairs of his older brother J.R., who was far more ruthless. Yet Bobby did on many occasions use ruthless tactics in order to attempt to beat J.R. Bobby was one of the few characters on the show to openly take a stand against J.R. on numerous occasions (at times physically), yet the two never forgot they were brothers.
In addition to the differences between their treatment of others, as well as their conflicting views on morality, another reason for JR and Bobby's rivalry was their father's preference for Bobby (their mother, Miss Ellie, favored middle son Gary). Growing up, and even into adulthood, Jock made no secret of the fact that Bobby was his favorite son. This caused a major rivalry with J.R., who was jealous of the unearned favoritism Bobby got from Jock.
cliffhanger episode) - with the realization that the storylines of the preceding season, including the accident, were nothing more than a lengthy dream sequence (thus invalidating the entire 1985
-1986
season of the show).
Patrick Duffy and Victoria Principal didn't appear in the same scene when he returned at the end of Season 8. Principal had her scene shot on her own whilst Duffy had footage of a soap commercial merged into the scene.
and the two were briefly engaged. In 1990
, Bobby married April Stevens
but in the last season, April was kidnapped on their honeymoon in Paris before being shot dead.
Bobby always had an interesting relationship with his on again-off again sister-in-law Sue Ellen Ewing
. They kissed on several occasions, but a relationship never materialized.
In the fifth season, Bobby adopted a boy named Christopher, who was the son of J.R's deceased sister-in-law, Kristin Shepard
. He also has a son named Lucas Krebbs from his relationship with Jenna Wade
.
and War of the Ewings
, Bobby had a relationship with Julia Cunningham (J.R. Returns) before taking over Ewing Oil. In the follow-up film War of the Ewings
he is no longer with Julia and the reasons are not even explained. He eventually starts a relationship with European oil heiress Jennifer Jansen, who was a business associate of his brother J.R.
and whose father's company Jansen Oil was saved from bankruptcy by J.R.
He will return in the 2012 TNT sequel, so far nothing is know about his current life but it has been revealed that he is married to woman named Ann. The focus will be on Christopher, his adopted son.
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
. The youngest son of Jock
Jock Ewing
John Ross Ewing, Sr., better known as Jock Ewing, is a character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Jim Davis and Dale Midkiff in Dallas: The Early Years...
and Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy
Patrick George Duffy 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, Duffy returns to reprise his role as Bobby in a new up-to-date Dallas currently scheduled to...
between 1978
1978 in television
The year 1978 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule.-Events:...
and 1991
1991 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1991-92 United States network television schedule.The year 1991 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1991.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, although both the actor and the character left the show briefly during 1985-1986. The show was originally planned to center around Bobby's Romeo and Juliet-style marriage to Pamela Barnes
Pamela Barnes Ewing
Pamela Jean "Pam" Barnes is a fictional character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Victoria Principal and Margaret Michaels.-Early pre-series life:...
(Victoria Principal
Victoria Principal
Victoria Principal is an American actress, best known for her role as Pamela Barnes Ewing on the CBS nighttime drama Dallas from 1978 to 1987.-Early life:...
), who was from the rival Barnes family. However, the show ended up being centralized around his older brother, J.R. Ewing
J.R. Ewing
John Ross Ewing, Jr., more commonly known as J. R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was a central, nefarious figure on the hit CBS television series Dallas . J. R...
(Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
), as it became clear that he was the breakout character.
Date of Birth
He was born 16 February 1949 on Southfork, according to his gravestone in season 8's "dream-season". However, in the episode Charade, Season 13, his date of birth is shown as 16 February 1949.Bobby was a successful (though reluctant) oil baron, like his father and brother, but he lacked J.R.'s ruthlessness and insisted on playing fair which resulted in his limited success. Bobby could be seen as kind-spirited or naive in what was portrayed as a vicious, cut-throat business. When they weren't at odds with each other, the brothers had many run-ins with his brother in law Cliff Barnes
Cliff Barnes
Clifford "Cliff" Barnes, played by Ken Kercheval, was a character on the popular American television series Dallas. The Barnes family were competitors and sometimes enemies of the Ewing family. Cliff was the son of Willard "Digger" Barnes and Rebecca Barnes Wentworth. J.R. Ewing was Cliff's...
, and later more formidable enemies such as Jeremy Wendell and Carter McKay, successive heads of huge oil conglomerate Westar.
The oil industry was not Bobby's only interest. From time to time he also took part in the raising of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
on the family ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
, Southfork
Southfork Ranch
Southfork Ranch is a conference and event center located near Plano, Texas; it contains the Ewing Mansion, which was the setting for the 1978 - 1991 television series Dallas. The ranch is located at 3700 Hogge Drive in Parker, Texas.-History:...
. He was also a state senator in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
for a while. For several years, Bobby drove a red third generation Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
SL with the license plate EWING 4. In 1987, J.R. replaced Bobby's destroyed Mercedes with a black Maserati Biturbo
Maserati Biturbo
The Maserati Biturbo is a sports car introduced by Maserati in 1981. The Biturbo is a two-door, four-seater notchback coupé featuring, as the name implies, a two-litre V6 engine with two turbochargers and a luxurious interior.The car was designed by Pierangelo Andreani, an engineer from the De...
cabriolet (the Mercedes was driven by Pam on the day of her fateful crash). After that, Bobby owned a bronze-colored Jaguar XJ-S convertible. In season 13 he once again drives a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
The Mercedes-Benz SL is a grand tourer manufactured by Mercedes since 1954. The designation SL derives from the German Sport Leicht, or Sport Lightweight — and was first applied to the 300SL 'Gullwing' named also after its gullwing or upward-opening doors.The term SL-Class refers to the...
in bronze of the fourth generation from 1989.
Bobby's most defining character trait was his altruistic desire to do the right thing. This almost always put him in the cross-hairs of his older brother J.R., who was far more ruthless. Yet Bobby did on many occasions use ruthless tactics in order to attempt to beat J.R. Bobby was one of the few characters on the show to openly take a stand against J.R. on numerous occasions (at times physically), yet the two never forgot they were brothers.
In addition to the differences between their treatment of others, as well as their conflicting views on morality, another reason for JR and Bobby's rivalry was their father's preference for Bobby (their mother, Miss Ellie, favored middle son Gary). Growing up, and even into adulthood, Jock made no secret of the fact that Bobby was his favorite son. This caused a major rivalry with J.R., who was jealous of the unearned favoritism Bobby got from Jock.
Patrick Duffy leaves and returns
At the end of the 1984-85 season, Patrick Duffy expressed his desire to leave the series. Thus, his character of Bobby died when he was run over by a car driven by his sister-in-law, Katherine Wentworth. This proved to be a mistake as it left the show without one of its most popular characters. Larry Hagman persuaded Duffy to return to the series the following season. Dallas scriptwriters created a storyline which featured Pam waking up to find Bobby in the shower (in the May 19861986 in television
The year 1986 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1986.For the American network television schedule, please see 1986-87 American network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:*September 6 –...
cliffhanger episode) - with the realization that the storylines of the preceding season, including the accident, were nothing more than a lengthy dream sequence (thus invalidating the entire 1985
1985 in television
The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States....
-1986
1986 in television
The year 1986 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1986.For the American network television schedule, please see 1986-87 American network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:*September 6 –...
season of the show).
Patrick Duffy and Victoria Principal didn't appear in the same scene when he returned at the end of Season 8. Principal had her scene shot on her own whilst Duffy had footage of a soap commercial merged into the scene.
Season 10
Season 10 saw Pam leave Bobby after she was involved in a car crash which resulted in her suffering severe burns. She ran away from the hospital and Bobby never saw her again.Series finale
In the final episode, Bobby is first on the scene after hearing a gunshot from J.R.'s room uttering the words "Oh my God." The camera never shows what Bobby actually saw and it was thought J.R. committed suicide, although in subsequent films it was explained J.R. shot a mirror.Other romances
Bobby also had a long time on off relationship with Jenna WadeJenna Wade
Jenna Wade Krebbs was a fictional character in the popular American television series Dallas, played most notably by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley . The character of Jenna was briefly played by Morgan Fairchild in 1978 and Francine Tacker in 1980.Jenna was Bobby Ewing's first true love...
and the two were briefly engaged. In 1990
1990 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1990-91 United States network television schedule.The year 1990 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1990.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, Bobby married April Stevens
April Stevens Ewing
April Stevens, was a character that appeared in the later seasons of the popular American television series Dallas, played by Sheree J. Wilson ....
but in the last season, April was kidnapped on their honeymoon in Paris before being shot dead.
Bobby always had an interesting relationship with his on again-off again sister-in-law Sue Ellen Ewing
Sue Ellen Ewing
Sue Ellen Ewing is a character on the popular American television series Dallas, played by Linda Gray from 1978 to 1989. Sue Ellen was the long-suffering two-time wife of the nefarious J. R. Ewing....
. They kissed on several occasions, but a relationship never materialized.
In the fifth season, Bobby adopted a boy named Christopher, who was the son of J.R's deceased sister-in-law, Kristin Shepard
Kristin Shepard
Kristin Shepard was a character in the popular American television series Dallas, played most notably by Mary Crosby and briefly played by Colleen Camp...
. He also has a son named Lucas Krebbs from his relationship with Jenna Wade
Jenna Wade
Jenna Wade Krebbs was a fictional character in the popular American television series Dallas, played most notably by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley . The character of Jenna was briefly played by Morgan Fairchild in 1978 and Francine Tacker in 1980.Jenna was Bobby Ewing's first true love...
.
Reunion films
When Dallas released the films J.R. ReturnsDallas: J.R. Returns
Dallas: J.R. Returns is the first of the two Dallas reunion movies to air after the series went off the air. It originally aired on CBS on November 15, 1996, and recently was rerun as part of TV Land's salute to 50 years of Warner Bros. Television....
and War of the Ewings
Dallas: War of the Ewings
Dallas: War of the Ewings was the second of the two Dallas reunion movies. It aired on CBS on April 24, 1998, a little less than a year and a half after the first movie, Dallas: J.R...
, Bobby had a relationship with Julia Cunningham (J.R. Returns) before taking over Ewing Oil. In the follow-up film War of the Ewings
Dallas: War of the Ewings
Dallas: War of the Ewings was the second of the two Dallas reunion movies. It aired on CBS on April 24, 1998, a little less than a year and a half after the first movie, Dallas: J.R...
he is no longer with Julia and the reasons are not even explained. He eventually starts a relationship with European oil heiress Jennifer Jansen, who was a business associate of his brother J.R.
J.R. Ewing
John Ross Ewing, Jr., more commonly known as J. R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was a central, nefarious figure on the hit CBS television series Dallas . J. R...
and whose father's company Jansen Oil was saved from bankruptcy by J.R.
He will return in the 2012 TNT sequel, so far nothing is know about his current life but it has been revealed that he is married to woman named Ann. The focus will be on Christopher, his adopted son.
Trivia
- Bobby Ewing appeared in almost all the episodes of the series, was frequently seen in 326 of the 357 episodes (missing 31 episodes, at the start of the 1985-86 season - when he left the show to focus on TV movies, and 1 episode at the end of the 1989-90 season).
- Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman first co-starred in the 1974 made-for-TV movie Hurricane, but had no scenes together.