A Tribute to Kevin
Dobson (1943-2020)
I love Mack MacKenzie and I love Kevin Dobson, the man who brought Mack to life on television for eleven years. Like many Knots fans, I was very upset when my phone buzzed on the evening of September 7th with a news alert that Kevin had passed away the day before at the age of 77.
Kevin Dobson was born on March
18th, 1943, in Jackson Heights, New York. Before getting into acting, he served in the
army during the Vietnam war as an MP and was very proud of his service. His official death notice states, “In lieu of
flowers, as Kevin would always say, if you love America, thank a vet.” After his military service, he began his
acting career, first appearing on One Life to Live in 1968 as Governor
Harrison Brooks. During this time, he
also had a small appearance in the movie Klute in 1971 as well as
appearances on television with The Mod Squad, Cannon, and Emergency!
Kevin’s big break came in 1973
when he was cast as Detective Bobby Crocker on Kojak. He stayed with that series for its entire run
until 1978 and I know that for lots of people, that would be the first thing
they think about when they hear his name.
I feel a bit unprepared for this tribute because I’ve also never seen Kojak,
although I’m familiar with it as part of pop culture.
After Kojak went off the
air, Kevin played the lead role in a short lived series called Shannon which
aired during the 1981-1982 season. That
series was quickly cancelled, but that only meant Kevin was available for the
role I and most people probably associate him with, that of Mack MacKenzie on Knots
Landing. Kevin joined the cast at
the start of the fourth season in 1982 and stayed with the series all the way
until the final episode in May of 1993. He
ranks #4 when it comes to overall cast member appearances on the series, behind
Michele Lee, Ted Shackelford, and Joan Van Ark.
According to IMDb, Kevin appeared in 291 of the series 344
episodes. You can’t talk Knots
Landing without talking about Kevin.
For me, Kevin’s entrance onto
the series marks the beginning of the good times for the show. As those who have read through my blog will know,
I love all of Knots Landing but I believe that perfect trifecta of
seasons four, five, and six represent the show at its artistic peak, and Kevin
is a huge part of that. The character of
Mack is first introduced to fill a hole in the series, a void that was left by
the departure of Don Murray one year earlier.
The show needed a new strong male lead and a new romantic interest for
Karen. I think Mack rather quickly
proved himself to be a more interesting character than Saint Sid, no offense
intended to Don Murray who was also wonderful in his role. To me, the character of Mack represents what makes
Knots so special, because I really don’t believe a character like him
could exist on any of the other big ‘80s primetime super soaps. He has a realistic quality that is uniquely Knots;
he seems like a guy we could all know in real life. He provided the necessary boost of masculine
energy to the series, but he also provided some fabulous humor and moments of
levity, particularly when it came to his chemistry with Michele Lee. Many
of my favorite moments on the series are the moments of comedy between these
two, and I think you can tell just by watching that both actors loved working
with each other. Indeed, I listened to a
recent interview with Michele and when asked what her best memory of the series
was, her immediate response was "working with my wonderful husband, Kevin
Dobson.”
After Knots, Kevin
continued to keep busy acting with roles in F/X: The Series from 1996 to
1997 and The Bold and the Beautiful from 2006 to 2007. He was also the final actor to play the
character of Mickey Horton in Days of Our Lives. Kevin died on Sunday, September 6th,
2020. He is survived by his wife of over
fifty years and their three children.
By all accounts, Kevin was a generous man and a beloved actor. I’ve never heard of anyone saying an unkind word towards him. I know that I was very sad to hear of his passing and, even though I never met the man, he felt like a large part of my life because of how much I love the series and how much I love his character. Kevin Dobson will be missed but he will never be forgotten; I believe the best way we can all honor him is by watching his work throughout the decades and appreciating his contribution to the television landscape.
REST IN PEACE KEVIN DOBSON: 1943-2020
Very nice tribute. I am in mourning for his loss.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Brett this was beautiful! You are so right,we may never have met him but we sure did feel like we knew him. Very very sad.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace! Our Mac💜💜💜💜
Beautiful tribute. I loved Kevin and the character of Mack so much. He was a wonderful actor! Rest in peace dear Kevin/Mack
ReplyDeleteBrett, thank you for this. It hurt my heart when I read of his passing.
ReplyDeleteWonderful tribute Brett.
ReplyDeleteI also loved how Kevin had the writers put in his job as a Long Island railroad ticket taker when they wrote the flashback episodes for young Mack.
Mairtin54
Wonderful Tribute, Brett‼
ReplyDeleteI always did love Kevin Dobson. His death is devastating.
That was such a wonderful tribute you wrote. Kevin was a great actor who will be terribly missed.
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ReplyDeleteShocked and saddened when I heard, thank you for this loving and respectful tribute, and for this amazing blog which I only discovered a few days ago. Believe me, your dedication and all the work you're putting in here, are sincerely appreciated.
ReplyDeleteLuke
Melbourne
Australia
Aaaah, Kevin. What a gem. Like a third father to me, behind my own - and Mr. Brady.
ReplyDelete