Knots Landing

Background:

Five-time Soap Opera Digest Award-winning American actor of Irish ancestry Kevin Dobson first enjoyed TV success as young trusted partner Bobby Crocker on the Telly Savalas well-known crime/drama series “Kojak” (CBS, 1973-1978), during which Dobson became a darling among younger women watching the show. Known mostly for his roles in films, soap operas and television, Dobson acquired even bigger victory when he joined the cast of the popular 1980s soap opera, “Knots Landing,” playing Michele Lee's second husband, attractive lawyer, Patrick 'Mack' McKenzie. During his tenure on the show (from 1982 until its demise in 1993), he won his Soap Opera Digest Awards. More recently, Dobson is known for his roles in the syndicated “FX: The Series” (1996-1997, as Det. Leo McCarthy) and the favorite daytime dramas “One Life to Live” (2003-2004, as Gov. Harrison Brooks) and “The Bold and the Beautiful” (2006-2007, as Judge Devin Owens). He is also has starred in countless TV films. On the big screen front, Dobson, who made his debut in 1970's “Love Story,” has acted in such movies as “The Battle of Midway” (1976), “All Night Long” (1981, with Barbra Streisand), “Restraining Order” (1999), “Crash Landing” (2005), “1408” (2007, with John Cusack), “April Moon” (2008), “Portal” (2008) and “Doesn't Texas Ever End” (2008).

“If you love your country, thank a Veteran.” Kevin Dobson

A former soldier, Dobson has served as Chairman of the National Salute To Hospitalized Veterans twice. For his service to help hospitalized veterans, he is widely applauded by many veteran organizations and has been honored with the Silver Helmet Peace Award and the American Legion Award.

On a more personal note, Dobson and his wife of 40 years, Susan Dobso, have two children.

Irish Lineage

Childhood and Family:

Kevin James Dobson was born on March 18, 1943, in New York, New York. He was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens, along with his six siblings. His grandfather was a decorated NYC policeman who immigrated from Ireland. Kevin attended New York University and trained as an actor at New York's Neigborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.

Kevin married his girlfriend Susan Dobson in 1968. Together, they have two sons and a daughter.

Kojak's Right Hand

Career:

Kevin Dobson was enrolling NYU and laboring as brakeman, railroader and conductor for the Long Island Railroad to support himself when he decided to try his luck in TV commercials, following the suggestion of Susan, his future wife. He booked a few commercials, but his real acting job did not come until he was cast as the young suitor in a touring production of “The Impossible Years,” by Walter Kerr. Upon returning to New York, Dobson recognized that acting was his true calling, and started training professionally with the Neighborhood Playhouse. He kicked off his film career in early 1970s with small parts in three films shot in the east, namely “Love Story” (1970), “Klute” (1971) and “The French Connection” (1971), before packing his stuffs and moving to Los Angeles to further pursue his career.

Dobson made his Hollywood debut in a guest role as Howie in “Feet of Clay,” a 1971 episode of the crime series “The Mod Squad.” He followed it up with two more guest spots and an uncredited part in the TV pilot “The Rookies” (all 1972), but he was forced to take a side job as a fireman on the Santa Fe Railroad in order to make end meets.

Dobson's fortune began to change when he won the costarring role of Det. Bobby Crocker on the CBS crime/drama series “Kojak,” which ran from 1973 to 1978. Although the popular show was a vehicle for Telly Savalas, who played his boss, Lt. Theo Kojak, Dobson himself became a favorite among the show's fans, mostly younger women. Through Universal, who made the series, the actor then was handed an important role in the motion picture “The Battle of Midway” (1976), directed by Jack Smith and starring Charlton Heston, and cast in his first TV film, “The Immigrants” (syndication, 1978), playing Pete Lomas.

After the demise of “Kojak” in 1978, Dobson continued to star in such TV films as the fact-based-drama “Transplant” (1979), William A. Graham's “Orphan Train” (1979), the comedy “Hardhat and Legs” (1980) and “Gunnar Hellström's "Mark, I Love You” (1980) before gaining boost for playing Barbra Streisand's husband in the film “All Night Long” (1981). Despite creating a distinction of becoming one of Streisand's screen spouses, the comedy/drama marked one of the multi-faceted actress's box office bombs.

Later that same year, Dobson offered a fine starring turn as Mike Hammer in the TV film “Mickey Spillane's 'Margin for Murder'” and made his return to series TV, this time as a leading actor on the CBS drama “Shannon,” playing a New York cop who moves to San Francisco with his son. Unfortunately for the actor, the prime time series was canceled after a season due to low ratings.

It was in the following season that Dobson experienced a huge breakthrough when he landed the role of M. 'Mack' Patrick MacKenzie on the popular night time soap opera “Knots Landing,” which debuted in December 1979. As the hard-bitten federal prosecutor, who finally married Michele Lee's Karen, he was singled out with five Soap Opera Digest Awards, including for Outstanding Actor: Prime Time, Outstanding Hero: Prime Time and Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role. The show also gave Dobson the opportunity to direct some episodes such as his debut, “Just Desserts,” aired on April 14, 1988.

In addition to his series TV assignment, Dobson maintained himself busy by working on several TV films, including “Money, Power, Murder” (1989), “Casey's Gift: For Love of a Child” (1990), “Dirty Work” (1992) and “A House of Secrets and Lies” (1992). He also rejoined with his longtime friend and actor, Telly Savalas, for the TV film “Kojak: It's Always Something” (1990). When “Knots Landing” came to an end in 1993, Dobson found himself starring as a father who must arrest his won daughter on the CBS made-for-TV film “If Someone Had Known” (1995) and portrayed Detective Joe Sraccula on the TV film “Voice from the Grave” (1996), opposite Megan Ward, as well as guested in such series as "Touched by an Angel" and "The Commish" (both 1994). He revisited series TV during the 1996-1997 season playing Detective Leo McCarthy on the syndicated show “FX: The Series.”

In 1997, Dobson found himself reprising his coveted role as Mack for the miniseries “Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac.” He followed it up with roles in the films “Nathan Grimm” (1998), a 30-minute indie directed by Steven Ayromlooi, and “Restraining Order” (1999), starring Eric Roberts, the direct-to-video “Mom, Can I Keep Her?” (1998), playing the father of Justin Berfield, and the TV film “Nobody Lives Forever” (1998), adapted from a novel by Edna Buchanan.

Entering the new millennium, Dobson teamed up with Tracey Gold for the TV drama “She's No Angel” and starred as Mr. Hopkins in another TV film called “The Haunted Heart” (both 2001). From 2003 to 2004, he appeared on the hit daytime drama series “One Life to Live,” playing Gov. Harrison Brooks. After supporting Antonio Sabato Jr., Michael Paré and Brianne Davis in the action film “Crash Landing” (2005), he joined the cast of the long-running soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” in the recurring role of Judge Devin Owens. He appeared in the show in 13 episodes from October 2006 to June 2007. Also in June 2007, Dobson could be seen playing a priest in director Mikael Håfström's “1408,” a horror/thriller starring John Cusack as Mike Enslin. He then was featured as a police officer in the made-for-TV film “Christmas at Cadillac Jack's” (also 2007).

The 65-year-old actor recently has completed filming “April Moon” (2008), a romance starring Stephanie Reibel in the title role of a blind, talented sculptor with a dark past, and the horror/sci-fi “Portal” (2008), where among his costars are Chris Conrad, Angell Conwell and Alexander Martin. He also has a supporting part in the upcoming drama/comedy film “Doesn't Texas Ever End” (2008), starring Haylie Duff, Ben Savage, Jon Prescott, and Rachel Zeskind, who also directed the film.

Awards:

• Soap Opera Digest: Outstanding Actor: Prime Time, “Knots Landing,” 1992

• Soap Opera Digest: Outstanding Hero: Prime Time, “Knots Landing,” 1991

• Soap Opera Digest: Favorite Super Couple: Prime Time, “Knots Landing,” 1988 (shared with: Michele Lee)

• Soap Opera Digest: Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role: Prime Time, “Knots Landing,” 1988

• Soap Opera Digest: Favorite Super Couple on a Prime Time Serial, “Knots Landing,” 1986 (shared with: Michele Lee)