Many people have wondered if Sean Duffy, the former congressman and reality TV star, is related to Patrick Duffy, the veteran actor and soap opera icon. The two share a common surname and both have ties to Wisconsin, but are they really family? Here’s what we found out.
Who is Sean Duffy?
Sean Patrick Duffy is an American politician, prosecutor, former sports commentator and reality television personality who is currently a co-host of The Bottom Line on Fox Business, as well as a contributor on Fox News
He was born on October 3, 1971, in Hayward, Wisconsin, the tenth of 11 children of Carol and Thomas Walter Duffy. He has a marketing degree from St. Mary’s University, and a J.D. degree from William Mitchell College of Law
He first gained fame as a cast member on The Real World: Boston, the sixth season of the MTV reality television show, and on Road Rules: All Stars in 1998, where he met his future wife Rachel Campos. He later appeared on Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons, which aired in 2002
He was appointed Ashland County District Attorney in 2002 by Governor Scott McCallum and was reelected four times. He was also on the Republican slate of the 10 Wisconsin electors for the 2008 presidential election
In 2010, he ran for Congress in Wisconsin’s seventh congressional district and won the seat vacated by 15-term incumbent Democratic Representative Dave Obey. He was reelected four times until he resigned in 2019 to spend more time with his family and his ninth child who was born with a heart condition
Who is Patrick Duffy?
Patrick Duffy is an American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap opera Dallas, where he played Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Miss Ellie and the nicest brother of J.R. Ewing (played by Barbara Bel Geddes and Larry Hagman respectively) from 1978 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1991. He returned to reprise his role as Bobby in a continuation of Dallas, which aired on TNT from 2012 to 2014. He is also well known for his role on the ABC sitcom Step by Step as Frank Lambert from 1991 to 1998, and for his role as Stephen Logan on the CBS daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (2006–2011, 2023-present). He played the lead character’s father in the 2014 NBC sitcom Welcome to Sweden
He was born on March 17, 1949, in Townsend, Montana, the son of tavern owners Terence and Marie Duffy. He has Irish ancestry. He attended Cascade High School in Everett, Washington, where he participated in the Drama Club and the Pep Club. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1971 with a degree in drama. He ruptured both his vocal cords during his senior year of college but was hired as actor-in-residence where he worked as an interpreter for ballet, opera, and orchestra companies in Washington. He also taught mime and movement classes during this period
He appeared in a Taco Bell commercial in the early 1970s playing an employee describing an Enchirito. In 1977, he landed the role of Mark Harris in the short-lived television series Man from Atlantis. Following the series’ cancellation in early 1978, he got his big break in the role of Bobby Ewing on Dallas. The show became a worldwide success and made him a household name. He opted to leave the series in 1985 with his character being killed off onscreen but returned in 1986 in the infamous shower scene that rendered the entire 1985–1986 season “just a dream.” He remained with the series until its cancellation in 1991. He also appeared in several episodes of the spin-off series Knots Landing between 1979 and 1982
Are They Related?
According to our research, Sean Duffy and Patrick Duffy are not related by blood or marriage. They have different parents, different birthplaces, different ethnic backgrounds, and different career paths.
However, they do have some things in common besides their last name. They both have connections to Wisconsin: Sean was born and raised there and represented it in Congress; Patrick attended college there and met his late wife Carlyn Rosser there. They both have large families: Sean has nine children; Patrick has two children and four grandchildren. They both have faced personal tragedies: Sean’s ninth child was born with a heart defect; Patrick’s parents were murdered in 1986 by two young robbers. They both have appeared on reality TV shows: Sean on The Real World and Road Rules; Patrick on Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Family Feud. They both have been involved in politics: Sean as a Republican congressman; Patrick as a supporter of environmental causes and Democratic candidates
