YBMW Interview: Patrick Duffy. A Man With A Crab

YBMW: Other than “Patrick and the Crab,” what are you working on now?

PD: Well I come back and forth. I don’t even live in California anymore… I have a ranch in Oregon that my wife and I have had for over twenty years, we moved up there almost eight years ago permanently. So I just commute now to Los Angeles depending on work schedules and when people want me. Right now I’m in Los Angeles doing another Hallmark movie, I get called to do those maybe once, twice a season. So I’m down here doing that, and just let the chips fall where they may. I’ve never purposely set out… I lucked into “Man from Atlantis,” when that was canceled there were five scripts that were offered, and my wife and I essentially closed our eyes and threw a dart, and picked “Dallas”… and seven days after Atlantis was canceled I lucked into “Dallas”…

When we knew “Dallas” was canceled, a producer offered me “Step By Step,” and two weeks after “Dallas” was canceled I started “Step By Step.” None of those three things did I plan in advance so… I’m sort of taking that as a cue from the universe.

That, you know, if Patrick Duffy makes a plan it’s bound to fail, but if I just seize an opportunity when it’s presented I’ll do okay.

So I’m just waiting for whatever the next opportunity is, and I’m actually thinking that the crab stuff has started something. I don’t know where it’s going to lead but it has started something and it possibly will be the reinvention of me as an actor.

YBMW: The Patrick Duffy and the Crab videos are definitely very interesting.

PD: Yeah. And it’s something that nobody is used to seeing me do. I mean, first of all, when I was a superhero everybody just thought “Yeah, the superhero.” Then I did “Dallas,” and when I was done with “Dallas” nobody considered me for a comedy actor, for a sitcom person, except one producer. And he took a chance, and I loved it, and I think I was fine at it so, you know, people would miss it and I would be this kind of YouTube, sort of webisode kind of character that I’m doing on “Patrick Duffy and the Crab,” but it’s fun to do, and I love being that kind of straight man. And, you know, if that leads to something else, then I’m happy to do that. I just love working.

YBMW: What your Patrick and the Crab stuff really reminds me of same style of comedy that you would get with “Sam and Friends” and early Muppet clips.

PD: Well Rolf was on the Jimmy Dean Show. Rolf started on the Jimmy Dean Show. And that, to me is perfect because Jimmy Dean never introduced Rolf as “This is my friend Jim Henson here under the piano bench as Rolf.” He never did that, he just introduced Rolf, and would sing a duet with him and you know, it was that reality.

I’m glad you say that, I take that as a real compliment, because that’s how I feel about the crab stuff too… that it’s very much like Muppets.

One of the greatest regrets of my career is that I wasn’t viable enough to be asked to star on “The Muppet Show.”

They canceled that show before I got recognizable enough to be a viable guest star on The Muppet Show. Cause that was my dream. My dream was to work with the Muppets.

YBMW: Well, there’s the new Muppet movie that’s being written right now.

PD: Well listen you know, keep a good thought cause I would do it for free in a heartbeat.

YBMW: Patrick, I really want to thank you for taking the time to speak with us.

PD: Well thank you. I can appreciate you taking the time.